With her skirt starting to fill up more, Zalanna adjusted her arm to hold the bundle like a baby which caused some of the layers of her skirt to expose more of her thigh than usual. She wasn't sure how much he wanted so once the bundle formed a slight mound over the fabric, she turned to make her way back.

Keeping her ears peeled more this time, she didn't notice anything out of the ordinary and as far as scent went, Izzy seemed to be the only other being directly near by. As she started making her way back, she could hear the male starting to talk, asking what she was doing. "Um, I collected these like you asked me to?"

Her eyes narrowed as she watched him; it was like he was avoiding to look at her and her face was turning a brilliant shade of red. She stopped just short of where he was cooking and shifted her weight to one side. When he finally told her his concern, a teasing smile came to her legs. Dropping the oat stalks into his lap she hoisted her skit up to her knees saying, "Izzy, they're legs, I have two of them."

She then lowered the skirt back down and sat on her legs beside him. "I suppose you are right though," she said for he did have a point with her being royalty. "I shall try to be mindful of my actions."

Zalanna leaned closer to Izzavin as he worked, to the point that she were practically leaning against him. Whatever he was scooping onto one of the plates, it smelled pretty good. As he handed a metal plate to her, she crossed her legs and pulled it close to her nose to smell it.

Picking up one of the spoons, she sifted through the stew on her plate, a smile growing on her face as she saw the chunks of apple in it. "I can tell," she teased him before scooping up some of the food. Izzavin's warning of letting the food cool first clearly didn't tell the woman anything, though the heat didn't seem to bother her as she smiled, eyes closed.

"Mmmm, this is really good," she nearly seemed to purr as she bumped her head against his shoulder before opening her eyes. It was definitely far better than anything Rita had ever attempted making before Zalanna banned her from cooking.

His face was still red from her little act of defiance just moments ago. Honestly, if she kept at this, it would make his job all the harder. It was bad enough he already asked her to kiss him! He feared what he would do next. And, based on her lack of romantic socialisms (or at least the cues and clues), he guessed she would be completely mortified by any sexual actions he might unleash on her.

Yes, he could picture it now. The scolding glare of the queen as he...

No. He wouldn't picture that. No, no, no. As much as he adored the young princess, he knew he was not going to be the one to take that away from her. She would have a lesser prince court her. He won over by his charm. The marry and woo him, living her life full of glee and pride. And he? Well, Izzavin would remain alone. Likely bitter for losing the woman he claimed to love.

As she complimented his cooking, the green haired man smiled. "I learned, probably much like you have, that Tsuri cannot cook. And, low and behold, neither could her parents. She used to visit mom and I all the time. And..." he fell silent. "Yeah. Things never got better after mom died."

Not wanting to mar lunch with a sore tune, he fixed his gaze on the clouds above. "Thankfully, I had your mother after that. She taught me a lot about cooking. Even helped me recreate recipes I thought were lost with the passing of my mother." For a second, he shot Zalanna a glance, "your mother was skilled. She could turn anything into a meal fit for royalty. She always knew the perfect blend of spices and herbs too, never using too little or too much. It was... a real treat to feast and dine with your parents, the other knights, and the rest of the castle staff."

Food finished, he took a leaf and snapped it several times until the water within dotted the plate. Then, with another leaf, he scrubbed it clean. It would have to do for now until they came by a stream or lake.

"Unfortunately, due to the lack of the storm, I don't think we'll be flying again. Still, we're a whole day closer than we were when we left this morning. Perhaps," he shoved the plates and utensils into his bag, "if we get a natural storm or shower, I'll let you fly this time. We'll be heading up into the mountains where the population plummets. Flying just above the tree tops should be safe." Then a smirk crossed his features. "Besides, I won't let you take me too high into the sky. Not until you've had proper training. Wouldn't want to end up dead because you didn't know some of the tricks of the trade!"

Bag over shoulder, he began to move back toward their destination. "So is there anything else you would like to learn while we walk?"

Zalanna chuckled as she ate the stew, even with the cooked meat it was quite tasty. She recalled how her and Rita would take turns preparing food, only when it was Rita's turn, it was magically a take out day. It was rather amusing to learn that it was probably a family trait.

Her eyes swung over to the male as he talked about his mom passing, gaze going to to the sky as the topic came up. It was short lived though as he fell to the usually one of her mother; not that Zalanna would complain, she loved hearing about her.

As they finished eating and Izzavin started cleaning the plates a little, the woman leaned back onto her hands. "You know, I remember reading in one of my books that a dragon's life never truly ends," her gaze was now up to the sky as his had been before. "Though they may pass on, their spirit forever remains, guarding and watching over their loved ones."

Once the male finished packing and said they would have to travel on foot for a while since there was no storm, nor was there one that Zalanna could feel anytime soon, she stood, dusting her clothing off. A wide smile came to her face as he spoke of letting her fly and without a storm nearby she asked, "How long will it be until we reach the mountains?!" She was excited to finally stretch her wings for one of the first real times and to see just what she could do.

As he started moving, Zalanna picked up the pace to keep with the long legged male. What did she want to learn about? Traditions would probably be a good start and that was what they would talk about until the next stop.

Hearing her say those words caused Izzavin to glance back at the clouds above. "Yeah," he whispered, "but it's hard to believe sometimes." Scratching the back of his neck, he glanced down at the young princess. She seemed, eager and ready for whatever laid in their wake. Even though doubt clouded her eyes, Izzavin was sure she could do it. Speaking of tradition and the afterlife reassured him of this. Sure, she wasn't brought up in this world but she had learned a lot from her readings. Just a few months at his side and she might know more than enough to write her own novel. Hell, maybe even a trilogy.

With their bellies full, the two trekked onward. She asked of tradition and he spilled the beans. He told her tales of ol to stories of the late king and queen. He even spoke about coming of age and coronation events, of which came to an end as dinner time was upon them.

After a quick meal, of which Izzavin hunted again for he still feared Zalanna would befriend a bear or invite more trouble, the two were off again.

In the thick of a forest, Izzavin found comfort. Although his horns often caused him grief, he trusted the trees to protect the princess from unwanted guests. Furthermore, who would honestly follow them into the Woods of the Hallows. The vast forest that spread over the mountains rippled with rumors of horrific tales and times. Often men would walk into these words and few, if any, would return. And those that did were often taunted by ghosts, never living long for suicide became too strong a force to avoid.

At the hooting of an owl, Izzavin played with his fingers. Zalanna was right at his side and his hand itched to hold hers. The forest, slowly growing darker with each passing minute, would soon become a maze--a truly formidable foe to get lost within. But with her by his side, he wasn't scared nor afraid. If anything, he was almost excited at the chance to truly be alone with the woman he cherished deeply.

With calm exhale, his fingers bumbled lightly into hers. Using that as his cue, he entangled them before drawing the princess in to his space. Her hand in his, he rose the pale flesh to his lips, kissing it lightly before his other hand found a place on her back. Closing the gap between them, Izzavin began to sway.

"And you'll be expected to dance with whomever you chose to rule beside you," he continued on. "I'm no dancer but I can at least show you the ritual moves. Granted, I'm afraid I only know things from the male's point of view. When we get closer to your kingdom," his feet stopped moving and he merely held her in his arms, "I'll see if I can find a female who can teach you whatever I missed."

Releasing her, Izzavin stepped back and cleared his throat. Cheeks flushed, he adverted his glaze. Thank heavens the sky was already beginning to turn so his blush would remain a mystery to her.

"Well," he sighed softly, "I did make you a promise." Eyes catching the rising moon, they glowed their rich golden color. "If you would like to shift, do so now. Dawn and dusk, especially in such fog, are the best times to transform in a world where dragons are hunted. Storms and the pitch black of night work too but," he caught himself smiling, "I don't know if I trust you enough not to kill me in the night."

Izzavin ran a hand through her hair before placing a hand on her hips. That sweet smile clear as day on his face as he swallowed her precious form whole.

"Slowly," he instructed. Glancing around, he made note of their less-than-ideal location. This was a thick forest so meadows and open fields were few and far between. "You're a larger dragon than I so you must transform slowly and make your way above the trees before you full form takes hold."

Stepping back, he gave the woman her much needed space.

"When you're finally ready, let me know. I'll jump up on your back."

Nodding, he encouraged her to transform. The fog, slowly rolling in, would be the perfect cover for a rare dragon such as she.

Zalanna's mind was like a sponge as Izzy spoke of the traditions and tales of their race. The idea of cming of age ceremonies, the respect for the dead, coronation events; they sounded beautiful. She listened mostly, only asking questions here and there as she let the male just talk.

When they stopped for supper, she was left to pout alone. Clearly her early actions with the bear made the male not want her hunting. She couldn't have been blamed for the issue with the other dragon they ran into; she wasn't exactly looking for him, rather he for her.

After they ate, they were off again. This time, instead of Izzy talking, Zalanna did. She told him stories of what it was like growing up with Rita all those years. How Rita had shown her fortune telling and her wonders with the crystal ball, but she couldn't pick up on any of it. She spoke of the goods they would sell and trade, the dances she was allowed to do and all the people they ran into along the way.

She told him about the few accidental times one of her dragon abilities would kick in without her permission and Rita would have to move them right away.

After talking for a few hours, Izzy seemed ready to continue with what he had been talking about. He was really branching off the dancing topic that kept getting brought up. His hand bumped her, pulling her eyes up though the male didn't seem to notice it at first. When she returned her gaze to before her again, the male pulled her in leaving very little room between the two.

Her face went red instantly, even after he explained that she would have to dance with another. Even though she had danced in the past, it was by herself; she had never taken a partner, especially one at such a close distance. "I-I can't dance like this," she said, her voice quiet and nearly panicked as the male swayed them back and forth, her body trying to follow along but the fact that this was new to her was obvious.

When Izzy finally stepped away, the woman fanned her face; he wasn't looking at her so it wasn't like he could see it anyway. As she lowered her arms, Izzy brought up her favorite topic, well, any topic regarding her people was her favorite, but changing? That was what she wanted to do. As her face lit up, Zalanna grabbed his hands. "Really? I can? You mean it?!"

There was a smile on his face as his hand ran through her hair before finding a spot on her hip. The smile on his face, even before his next words said he was serious. She bit her lip excitedly and even with is warning, she knew the male didn't have to worry about a fast transformation. She recalled having read that dragons that are new to it take a little while to fully change their form and not being allowed to change meant Zalanna didn't have a lot of practice.

Izzy stepped back, giving her room; he seemed to be more in tune with her size that she was, though she wasn't aware of that at the time. The last time she transformed she was about the size of the horses that pulled their cart, she didn't expect to be much larger than that at that point.

Wind seemed to explode around her, a vortex appeared at her feet and quickly pulling itself higher into the sky. The breeze itself was white and seemed to twinkle with the stars of the night sky. Zalanna closed her eyes as the power wrapped around her, blowing her hair all over the place, though soon that hair began to solidify and pull itself back slowly forming what looked like a fan crown. 2 pairs of whiskers seemed to pull themselves from her face and that too started to shift. Two long white whiskers started pulling from beneath her eyes, two more towards the nostrils of her growing snout.

The vortex started to become wider as Zalanna's form grew and elongated; her arms and legs stretching and changing to those of a reptile. Each part of her that grew would hit Izzavin's size and then continue. As her claws grew, they weren't pure white like the rest of her growing form, rather they were an orange-red that seemed to swirl with fire.

As the massive white dragon continued to grow, she sat on her haunches. A low rumble shook the ground around the woman; it was as though she were purring. Are you ready Izzy? One eye peeked open to look at the male; the excitement was clear as day even from the distance that was still being put between them due to her height.

She knew the male wouldn't hesitate and closed that eye again. She could feel him move, it was like in that form she was just more aware of the energies of dragons. Even off in the far, far distance, she didn't know how far, she could feel more, but she also didn't know how many.

As soon as Izzavin jumped on to her back, she extended her back legs so she were standing on them. At that height. The wind's power increased as Zalanna's eye snapped open. Along her sides, a leathery membrane started growing out, the bone and support grew out with it. The wind caught those wings and as the woman extended them, beating them a few times, it helped push them into the air.

[i]I hope you know I'm not fully aware of what I'm supposed to do[i], she thought to the male as they emerged above the trees, the breeze around them keeping them in the air as the newly formed wings beat, trying to find their rhythm in the sky.

Above the trees, the dragon that seemed to be done changing, was not. Zalanna's form, though it no longer added more dragon appearances, it grew, grew much larger than she had been beneath the trees to begin with.

Another rumble came from the woman as she started growing frustrated; if the wind quit supporting them, she knew her wings wouldn't be able to.

As she transformed, Izzavin watched her form. He knew what to look for, more so for medical and life-threatening reasons than anything else. Although beautiful, he couldn't let himself become sidetracked with her shifts and growth. Eyes running over every inch of her body, he nodded firmly. Everything checked out. Nothing appeared broken, mutated, or out of place. Still, she was smaller than he expected....

At her invitation, he bounded upward. His ability to jump that height certainly made the whole process a lot easier. She wouldn't have to fumble and flop to try to get lower to the ground, nor would she have to worry about her massive legs or tail knocking down the mountain. Izzavin made it easy. He simply jumped and landed on her tail. With another spring, he found himself planted firmly on her back. Sliding forward, he positioned himself so he was directly behind her neck, thus allowing him perfect view of whatever was before them. Admittedly, he didn't trust her well enough to fly alone. His eyes would likely be necessary.

"If you did know, I would be scared," he commented lightly in his usual teasing tone.

As she grew again, Izzavin smirked. He thought she would be bigger and he was right. As the pains of growing creaked throughout her form, Izzavin cooed lightly to her. She wasn't used to the shift so the pain was likely sharp and strong, like a knife in a spine or the next-day effects of lifting too much weight.

Stroking her pale scales, he smirked. "As you're heavier than I imagined, we'll have to go higher. The wind down at this level isn't enough to support your weight and your wings aren't used to carrying this body around. I need you to carefully flap those wings of yours and find your way into the clouds. Above the clouds, we can ride the current."

Originally he was against the idea but seeing her in her full glory, he knew he couldn't keep her low to the ground. Still, the idea of being high in the sky with an inexperienced flyer wasn't any nicer. The thought of falling and the hard splat on the ground--he winced at the idea.

Using that mental image, he shuffled around his bag. Somewhere in there he had a wing-suit of sorts. It wasn't ideal but, if things did go wr--

No. He couldn't do that to Zalanna. He had to show her he had the utmost faith in her skills. If he didn't believe and trust her now, she would never feel like she could rule a kingdom.

With calculated breath, he exhaled. He could sense his nerves calming. Brows no longer knitting together with fear, he smirked. He could do this. She needed him if all this was going to work out in the end.

Rubbing his hands along her neck, he whispered. "Just think of it like dancing with Rita. Only instead of stepping with your toes, skip and dance with your wings. Let your mind fall into the moment, blurring out all the distractions and noise. Focus on your steps--the beating of your wings. Feel the rush of wind around you and the stillness of the air that kisses your scales."

His cheek collided with her neck. Nuzzling her, he tried to instill a breath of courage and the faith to fly. "I know you can do this. Just listen to your body. Close your eyes and feel it move. As it moves, look for the tender spots. Hone in on them and discover the problem. Are you wings now stretched out fully? Are your whiskers too rigid; do you need to relax them? Is your back sore from doing all the heavy lifting? Follow the pain and learn from it. As you recognize it, remove it. Pull the problem from your core and let it fly away into the wind.

"As a dragon, flying should never hurt nor cause you fear. Flying is when we are at our highest. Let the cool air quell the fear within and let the kind breeze bring you peace among the clouds."

Rubbing his lips together, he pulled back from her neck. The rush of wind was taking its toll on his skin. Not to mention, the high-pitched whistling that rolled off his horns caused his ears to suffer. Finally shielded from it all, thanks to her neck, he could relax again.

Exhaling, he felt her shift. "I know you're nervous," he said, his palms sensing her mixture of doubt and joy. "But you can do this. Just breathe." He inhaled then exhaled, giving the princess a rhythm to copy. If all worked out, they would soon be high within the sky.

As they hovered over the trees, Zalanna's wings flapped in an uneven pattern as the waves of pain coursed through her body from it reaching its full size. That size was much, much smaller (at least half the size) of the dragon that was her mother that she couldn't recall from her dreams. Izzy's teasing only brought a low chuckle from the large dragon; at that point, the pain only brought the laugh as though it were trying to force it away.

Are you calling a lady fat, Izzavin? She asked the male, her bright eyes rolling back to look at the male before looking up higher to the clouds that dotted the sky. She had to get up there? Her mind fought to not think about the pain that was still there, or how her current attempt at flight was more of her just using the wind to her advantage as she tried to balance herself.

Zalanna growled at the male's movements as it had thrown her balance off slightly. Though, just as soon as he started moving, he stopped and a nervous tremor she felt coming from his started to fade. With it passing, the large, white dragon grew curious to why; she could feel herself not as panicked in her movements at that point.

She could feel his touch on her neck as he leaned in, explaining more about how to get up to those white fluffy clouds. Dancing? Is that what it was like because at that moment she felt more like a fawn on ice than a dancer. Her wings were her toes; looking at the massive stretch of leathery membrane she focused on them, trying to get her claws to quit grasping the air for rest.

She closed her eyes as instructed and just listened to her body as it started to slowly settle, looking a little less fawn-on-ice-like. Everything he was talking about, it was like he knew exactly what she was doing. She had thought her wings were indeed stretched, but she pushed at them, stretching them as though she needed to reach the highest of heights on her toes. As soon as those wings expanded further, the wind gladly took roost under them.

As the world started to settle around her as she felt the rhythm set by the male on her back. It wasn't so much that her breath lined up to it, but her wings; every few breaths he would take, her wings would beat in a certain direction. He didn't doubt her; she didn't sense in within his body movements. Lifting her massive head, she set her gaze to the clouds above and narrowing her eyes, she lurched her body forward and upward. It was far from the graceful, smooth take off that Izzy had early; her struggle was still evident but at least her wing patterns were a bit smoother.

Her claws still dug at the sky, as though she were actually trying to climb it. As she got higher, she could feel the wind around her move faster; there was far more of a breeze the higher she got than there was on the ground. They weren't quite cloud level, a little more than half way on the trek that would have been quick and easy for a more experienced flyer. Zalanna started to level out for a moment though.

Stretching out her wings, she felt the wind dance around them as she glided. She closed her eyes for a moment and must have moved her wings a little too because the duo dropped a little bit before Zalanna spread them wide with a start. Sorry, sorry, she repeated embarrassed as she looked to make sure Izzy was still there.

Before he could scold her about where she was before doing that, the woman was pulling them higher into the air again. The ride was bumpy to say in the least but at least they weren't falling, again. As the clouds began to dance around them, then under them, something triggered in the woman's mind.

She looked to her left and her right, though no one else was with them. Her wings straightened out to their fullest and seemed to rest on the wind; somewhere her mind was recalling a flight much like this. She knew not what it was recalling for she didn't remember, but it was a feeling of flight with others and her body just did.

Her body seemed to just suddenly relax once her wings were out like that, her legs tucked neatly under her as the jetstream just carried them. Another purr-like rumble came from the woman as she said, The weather is going to start warming up. It was easier for her to read the wind when she was up where all the weather happened.

At her falter, Izzavin compensated by swaying his body in the opposite direction. Although it probably looked like he would fall, such as not the case. As part of his training, Izzavin had to learn to fly as well as how to ride. These were just the basics all dragons learned. Something to really get them to understand how their bodies can react negatively to different situations and changes.

Unlike most though, Izzavin's knowledge of riding went further. When he joined the ranks of the Royal Guard, part of his lessons included riding in combat. As such, combat was anything but predictable. It was the sole purpose of the program. The dragon had to make the ride impossible with bumps and complications along the way. The dragon he rode with, Cyrah, would often dip and dive without warning. Sometimes he would spiral and other times he would flair his wings, causing them to stop abruptly. This one time Izzavin vividly remembered the joys of flying from the back of Cyrah. With a restricting belt (it prevented the riders from shifting into dragons to save their own hide), Izzavin was left in the capable hands of Cyrah.

Just thinking of this made his heart long to return to the kingdom. Although he knew his companions were all dead, he genuinely wanted to bless them with his prayers. He also owed them the deepest of apologizes for had he not done what he did, they would all still be alive.

For a moment, a frown crossed his face but when he felt the princess shudder, he forced himself to be happy again. Dragons are very in-tune with feelings, especially when they are riding miles above the earth. In the world of clouds and sun, everything became transparent and you could sense even the smallest fleck of doubt, fear, or sorrow. Such wasn't good, especially for a relatively new flyer.

Smile on his face, he smirked. "Silly princess, you don't need to apologize. Riding with you reminds me of my combat training with Cyrah. He would purposely fly like a manic to train me to ride in any and all conditions. Rain, snow, sleet, or hail wouldn't stop us. And his lunatic flailing and contorting only made me fall once. And trust me, falling from this height is not something I ever want to experience again."

Rubbing her neck, Izzavin tried to smooth out her concerns. "You really do not need to worry about me. You just focus on your flying. I'll stay put, I promise."

To prove his point, he rose leisurely so he was now standing on her spine. Stepping back from her neck, he let his years of training paint a picture worth a thousand words.

His knees bent lightly to dampen the beating of her wings and his arms were constantly ready to move as she moved. It was as if he were walking on a tight-rope, only there was no safety net at the bottom. If this didn't scream trust, he wasn't sure what else would.

"And that's good. Since someone ruined my jacket," his body contorted from its poised position to glance toward her head, "I'm afraid the cold would bother me more than usual."

Closing his eyes, he kept his thoughts on her movements. If she dipped, he would bend his knees to match her. If she veered right, he would veer left to counter-balance himself. Whenever the wind tussled his hair, he would open his arms so they were parallel to the clouds below. Even though they were humanish-arms, he thought of them as wings. The wind beneath them kept him straight, forcing his body into perfect balance.

Slowly, he peeled open one of his golden orbs.

She was radiant. Everything about her was truly magnificent. Never before had he seen such a sight. And to be there, standing on her back above the clouds, it really touched him. Had her mother known all along that this would be their fate? Had she foreseen this moment, hence entrusting him with protecting her whole world?

Peace splashed over him, causing a light peachy-pink color to clutch his cheeks. In that short amount of time, he had come to adore the woman. And now, now he understand why the queen was so keen on protecting her. Like her, Izzavin wanted nothing more than to protect Zalanna. As far as he was concerned, she was his whole world. She was the one to fight for and, if need be, the one to die for.

Her face seemed to beam with pride as she continued to figure out just how to fly. With each passing second, her body grew stronger and her mind brighter. In no time, she would match Izzavin's level. Perhaps not in grace or speed, but in ability. Hell, she would likely outlast him in flight too for with massive size came endurance.

Seizing the moment, Izzavin tip-toed his way down her spine until he was at the curve between rump and tail. Taking a seat so his legs sat off to one side of the tail, he gazed over her form and down at the clouds. From time to time, he would get a glance at the land below. It always amazed him how things looked so different from way up here.

With a content expression, her sighed softly. "Zalanna," he knew she would turn to look at him for he had fallen silent for quite some time. "I--" He caught his breath. Now was not the time for that.

"I look forward to the day you'll reclaim the throne." Although he showed no signs of it, inwardly he wanted to say so much more. "In less than 48 hours, you've shown me that you have more than what it takes to bring about an era of peace. Your name hardly suits you. I named you with the literal meaning of 'Royal Daughter.' Hindsight, I should have called you Varael, Peace Uniter, or Nuana, Bringer of Hope." He smirked. "Or maybe I should have called you Amaeth." Poking his tongue out, he purposely left out the meaning of that name. In time, when she learned the royal tongue, she would learn it meant Eternal Beauty.

A laugh rumbled from the dragon as Zalanna said, I do not know how I feel about being compared to a flying maniac. She then let out a sigh as the wind gently wrapped around her out stretched wings, keeping them up. It must have been something though, to be able to fly with other dragons. Her mind drifted off to images, they seemed to familiar, more like memories than fantasies; through the clouds, she could make out dark outlines and shadows of other dragons and around them, others were in flight. Though such a thing was a longing, she felt at peace as she thought about it.

She turned her head back slightly as the male patted her neck, telling her not to worry about him. He then proceeded to stand up and though she barely felt him move (likely due to their size difference), her eyes widened at the thought that he would do such a thing. A mild panic rose up in her chest, though as she watched the male and he didn't have any problems, it seemed to fad and she returned her gaze back to the sky before them.

The moon had risen high in the sky by now, bathing the world in a purple hue that seemed to fade from the blackness that surrounded the white orb. Beside the large white moon were 2 smaller, blue moons, though their light wasn't as reflected as that of the white moon. Together, they can white and pale blue light on the world below them. All around the sky, white stars twinkled above them.

Zalanna lowered her head slightly as she said, I didn't mean to ruin your jacket. I can try to get you a new one later to replace it though. Beating her wings a few times to keep their height and speed going, the massive white dragon then turned her gaze towards the sky above them. The light that fell on them seemed to make her scales glow. I bet your scales look beautiful at night, she thought to the male as the silence then started to fall around them.

As they continued on, she would dip and move her wings and body slowly to see what each different movement did. Even the slightest change in her wings would cause her to change her direction from left or right, even up and down. Her body was just as in tune with it, at least her tail seemed to aid almost like a rudder; she she moved her tail in a way that didn't agree with the direction she was going, she could feel the air around her shift and not in a pleasant way.

She could feel the male moving again, though she was slowly getting used to that feeling as well as any changes him standing had on their flight pattern. After a little bit she could feel that he sit, not a much from the weight on her back, but from the way the wind just started to fall a bit more naturally around them. She heard her name, faint but she heard it and she turned her head to meet the golden gaze of the orb. She thought he had said something else, but when she wasn't sure she asked, Did you say something Izzy?

He seemed to almost sigh; there was something on his mind, Zalanna could feel as much, but what, she had no idea. He did start talking though. His words about her one day ruling brought a rumble of laughter from her chest. As her gaze returned forward, Zalanna thought back to the male, I'm glad you think I'll be doing it one day. It seems so far off right now.

Her mind was pulled from wanting to daydream about what it would be like to one day see their kind take flight again; to see dragons not as legend but as reality. Izzavin was talking about her name: Zalanna, or Royal Daughter as he said. She smiled inwardly, it really was a fitting name for something she doubted about herself and hoped these trials would truly reaffirm.

She shook her head when Izzavin said he should have named her something else. I like Zalanna, it's the name you did give me and can help serve as a reminder for what may lay ahead, she said softly. The male caught her attention with the last name, mostly because he did not give the meaning with that one. Looking back at him again she then asked, What does Amaeth mean?

"I suppose. I just wish it wasn't a literal translation." A small smirk played on his face. "Granted, not many will know that. Very few speak the tongue of the royals. Only those of pure royal blood and those who served as knights to the family would know the name's meaning." Slipping his eyes toward her massive head, he smirked again. He still would not comment on the meaning of Amaeth. A part of him hoped she would adapt the name as her nickname, or even alias so anyone who might know what Zalanna stood for wouldn't try to kill her.

With the moon gracing the sky with her silver glow, Izzavin turned his gaze to face the large sphere in the sky. "Your mother flew with me once at nightfall. I was," he bit his lip, "having issues sleeping and her lullaby didn't seem to work. Without telling anyone, she ushered me out into the courtyard and commanded that I transform. I didn't know what she had in store but I knew better than to argue with her, especially in the late hours of the night. So I did as asked, and as I transformed, she did too."

His hand fell on his heart. Water seemed to shimmer over his golden orbs but it never broke free to slip down his cheeks. Eyes wavering, he smiled.

"It was amazing. Most do not have the privilege of flying with royals. Sure, I was her personal guard of choice. And yes I was privy to meeting with her. But to fly with her? Why, it was almost an insult to your father. Still," he pulled from his little memory and gazed endlessly at the moon. "It was magical. Her scales twinkled with the stars. Never before had my eyes feasted upon such a sight."

He laughed. "She noticed my staring and commented that your father would likely scold me if I kept my gaze on her a second longer. Embarrassed, which if you know anything about being pale as hell, my cheeks flushed red. Naturally, she saw and decided to see how rosy she could make my scales."

Izzavin shifted to look at Zalanna. "Most dragons don't show a blush. But since I am white, I'm oh-so-lucky to the flushing of cheeks. They don't become stark red like when you blush, but there is definitely a light pinkish glow to my scales when bashful."

He moved on with his story. "So she told me that I looked handsome beneath the moonlight. I practically fell from the sky." A grin grew on his face. "Completely out of line, I asked, 'Are you flirting with me because I might just have to tell the king that his nightly outings with Cyrah are indeed necessary.'"

Cheeks a rosy color, he sheepishly tugged his gaze off Zalanna. "Your mother was something else. I could never tell if she was teasing because she enjoyed making me squirm or if she was just trying to be nice. Either way," Izzavin's body fell softly onto Zalanna's spin. "your mother would agree that I look best in the moonlight."

For a while, he kept silent, just staring at the world above. The stars that dotted the sky glistened and the clouds continued to display the cool colors of the night. knowing his constellations and planets, Izzavin found himself happily amused with the solar system that surrounded him. The more drawn in he got, the less he paid attention to Zalanna and her needs.

Then, as he quizzically twisted his head as he watched a shooting star, reality came rushing back to him like a broken dam.

Hands feverishly patting her body for signs of fatigue, he coyly spoke up. "Uh, we should probably think about landing." Not wasting a second, he slid up to her head and looped an arm around her thick neck.

"So landing," his brows knit together. "It will not be graceful nor will it be pretty." As the clouds separated below them, he pointed toward a lake. "Go for a crash landing in the water. I'll work on teaching you proper decline etiquette when I can fly with you. I'm afraid I can't describe it. It's more of a show and try, rather than lecture and die."

The green haired male grit his teeth. "Not trying to be an ass or anything else. It's just... landing is the hardest part. Mastering take off and lift is hard, but landing... if you do one thing wrong, you could never fly again. Hence aiming for the water. As you fly toward it, let your body transform. Try to save the wings for last! You'll want to flap your wings in the opposite direction just before you hit the water. Or else I'll have the joys of swimming to the water's bottom to find you."

A low content rumble reverberated through the white dragon. I like the literal translation, she almost seemed to purr. It gets ride of doubt and brings about clarity. Plus, if and when they may have managed to find any others that could have any relation to the old thrown, perhaps they would more easily believe that someone as novice as she could even have a chance at the crown. It was a stretch, but from what she felt in her core, anything was better than the present.

As Izzavin began telling another tale, Zalana's eyes shifted up towards the 3 moons; would her mother have taken her out flying if she had nightmares too? She thought about her own sleepless nights, plagued by fears she did not know for everything was dark, she just knew fear. She tried to imagine the sight of Izzy and her mother transforming then taking to the skies; it seemed like it would have been a wonderful thing.

When he mentioned dragons and blushing, pointing out how red she turned, the white scaled dragon indeed turned a lovely rosey color as she veered slightly to the side in shock as she whipped her head around at him. I do not blush like that, she said to him, her inner voice sounding both shocked and mildly offended. As he seemed to pay little mind, the dragon returned her gaze before her, beating her wings for them to pick up a little more speed.

Hearing that her mother thought Izzy looked wonderful under the light of their moons and stars made Zalanna want to see in even more. Taking in a slow breath, her mind began to wander again as she watched the clouds moving past them. Izzy's true form was a sight to see anyway; she had a feeling that seeing dragons return to their natural states would be a breath taking thing to see. She wondered what the humans would think; creatures that they mimicked and thought nothing more than a legend returning to the skies once again.

It was Izzy's sudden patting on her sides, near her wings that pulled her from her thoughts, her head turning back slightly to look at the male. A landing? If dragons could make facial expressions, she could have indeed looked quite puzzled by the thought of landing. The first word that came to mind was 'how'.

As the male went on talking about how the landing would go down, Zalanna couldn't help but laugh. At least she knew that her faith in her landing seemed about as high as Izzy's at that point. Her bright teal eyes fell to the water, a crash landing seemed a bit harsh and painful; wasn't there a better way to do it? Then again, the water would definitely be more unforgiving to a novice when you compare it to the mountain side.

Zalanna started tilting her wings to see if there was a way to help her back towards the Earth, her mind completely focused on that rather than Izzy's joking and comments about him possibly coming off as mean. Dipping her wings forward, they started to glide in a slow descent. Ok, so that was how that worked. She then tried tucking her wings in slightly and that slow descent was suddenly much, much quicker as the world seemed to fly by them.

Those white wings opened again, not long later. Nope, nope, that was too fast of a descent, she didn't like that. Though it took a bit longer, the world below was soon much closer than it had been for however long they had been above the clouds.

Opposite direction, Zalanna repeated to herself as they started to near the water. It was indeed helping her slow down quite a bit, but there was a slight pang in her head that maybe she had started slowing down too late. Not to mention, in her massive form, her claws and tail clipped the tree tops as they neared the lake.

Trying to slow to a hover, she quickly thought to the male, Can you jump safely from here? She wasn't sure how everything was going to turn out and didn't want harm him.

After she saw him jump and land in the dark waters below she tried to focus on a slow transformation, but just how would she manage to keep her wings? She tried to imagine the wings still there, even as a human and while the wings seemed to change as the rest of her body did, they seemed to only shrink. Warm, white light danced around her, much like when she first transformed.

As her human form started to take over again, the frill that crested her head seemed to sit among her hair like a crown, her smaller white wings extended from her shoulders down to her hips. Stay focused, she thought to herself until she heard a snap of something from the woods. Eyes shooting open and looking towards the surrounding tree line, a shriek soon escaped Zalannna's lips as the crest and wings suddenly vanished.

Before she could get a name out, the cold water crashed around her. She had still been a good distance above the water when her wings suddenly vanished, which would have left Izzavin with little time to react after he broke to the surface from jumping in.

Zalanna wasn't sure how far under she had gone under before her body finally slowed and she was able to start swimming to the surface. Something warm soon wrapped around her waist and started pulling her towards the surface; the tingling feeling that came from it told her it was Izzy.

As soon as they broke through the water's surface, Zalanna took a deep breath, or as deep as she could before turning her head to cough out the water that she had swallowed when she initially hit the water. "Sorry," she said quietly, almost gasp like as the man continued to hold her. "I thought I heard something."

Her start was rather smooth. And then she did the thing with the wings that caused the world to get a little closer than he wanted. If she continued at this speed, he would definitely die. Hell, she would die. They would both be a big, bloody mess on the ground. The thunderous boom would likely start an earthquake. Cities would topple and the planet would burn.

Yes. If they died, they would end all humanity and dragon-kind.

Shaking his head, he chuckled lightly. "You're fine. I told you it won't be glamorous. Not yet." With each gentle gesture, he saw her grow more confident. Sure, it wasn't sexy--er, well her confidence was but the falling not so much--but it didn't have to be. She was learning.

Izzavin did what he could to calm her--rubbing her neck and cooing lightly to her. As she grew closer, her wings starts to peel back the trees. Raw earth exposed, his nostrils flared. He always loved the fresh scent of earth. It was... comforting. Heck, it was all he had know for the past 50 years.

"Yeah," he said with a nod. Without a second's thought, he rose before diving into the water. His movements were fluid, much like the watery pool below. The splash, practically nonexistent, spoke for his years of experiences. Apparently this wasn't his first dive off a dragon's back. And, with any luck, it wouldn't be the last.

The green haired male hardly went into the water. If anything, he seemed to cover more distance horizontally. He likely did it on the off chance Zalanna failed completely and landed as a dragon in the water. At least he would have been far enough away not to get squished!

As his body rolled from the clear liquid, his brows furrowed. Where had she gone? A torrent of bubbles quickly answered his question.

Before he could even think, he was sucking in air and forcing himself down into the depths. The water beneath the surface was far cooler, almost soothing. Still, he didn't have time to drink in its relaxing waves. He had a princess to save!

Unlike he, Zalanna didn't dive. There was no arch in her landing, which would curve her to the surface. Instead, she just fell down, down, down until she was hidden in the dark abyss below one's field of vision.

Kicking, he eventually found her. She was slowly making her way up from the bottom. The puffed out cheeks and closed eyes key indicators that she lacked oxygen.

Arms wrapping around her hips, he kicked with her. Izzavin was definitely the stronger swimmer, that much was obvious.

When the water's surface broke, he took joined Zalanna in gasping for air. Like her, his breath was held for quite some time. Slowly, a grin came onto his face. Wiggling his elbow, he cast some water into her face. "Yeah, okay. Was it your bear friend coming to have tea?" Nodding toward the land, the two began to swim to shore.

Just as they approached the water's edge, the dragon found his humor again. Rolling his eyes, the male smirked. "See, it was nothing. You worry to--"

His head snapped back. Eyes catching every shadow, the horned man's heart began to race. Whatever lurked in the woods was human. He could tell based on the sweat. Humans always had that unique scent.

But why were they out this far? Shifting his eyes to Zalanna, he quickly mulled over their options. They were in no position to fight. And, from the scents and giggling he was picking up, these humans hardly seemed like a threat. Still, they could undermine everything. The magic in the area hadn't quite worn off yet. All they needed to do was look at the broken trees and the excess water on the land... hell, anyone could figure it out.

As the bushes moved, he could feel Zalanna's grip tighten around his arm.

They were completely exposed. What... what could he do that would send these humans reeling back down the path from which they came?

No. His eyes were wide with disbelief. Was that really the only logical way to send them running like dogs with tails between their legs?

With a moan, his free arm found Zalanna's shoulder. With a firm jerk, he pulled her into position. Please, please, please don't hate me.

"Dudes," a human's voice broke behind a wall of trees, "last one to get laid has to buy us breakfast!"

"Hey now, I'm not gonna be that easy," a girl giggled.

"Likewise. Though, if this place is as sick as you say, I might just lose my top." A second voice chimed in.

Soon six scrawny teenagers looking humans emerged from the trees. From the way they were dressed, it was obvious that they were... twitter-patted. They were likely coming to the lake for a fun night out. Too bad Izzavin put their plans on the back burner.

"Oh shit," one of the women called. She doubled back behind another. "Joey, I thought you said this place was hidden." Her fingers sprawled out to point to Izzavin and Zalanna. "I wouldn't call this hidden!"

As the six stood with jaws ajar, the female who hadn't spoken found her courage. "C'mon guys, we should... probably go back home. They look... happy." Hand on her heart, she smiled. Then she egged the others to leave--though the boys were secretly hoping to watch a show.

Coast cleared, Izzavin pulled his lips from Zalanna's. The hand at the back of her head slid down her back.

Yes, when the teenagers finally broke into the open, Izzavin forced Zalanna's body against his. One hand kept her body tight to his and the other found its home at the base of her skull. It was entangled in her hair and kept her face with his.

Using the bank to his advantage, Izzavin managed to shift Zalanna's back up and on the soft ledge. Her thigh soon wrapped around his hip and the hand that once held her moved for her hand. His body pulled from the water some, giving him the height he needed. Twisting their fingers together, he went in for the kill.

Lips on lips, he kissed her. It was far sexier than he wanted, but with an audience, he had to make the kids want to leave. Nothing seemed to disturb a kid more than PDA, especially heated, heavy, steamy PDA.

As their audience seemed to converse, Izzavin found himself pulling her back into the water. Just in case things went south, he needed to have an exit plan--and pinning her in on the banks was hardly a plan.

One kiss wasn't enough so he moved onto two, three, four. Hell, he was beginning to lose count. Using the water's reflection as his mirror, he saw the one girl place a hand on her heart. He then saw them leave.

He couldn't finish their little impromptu make-out session until they were all gone. The second the coast was cleared, he was relinquishing his hold on her.

The cold water shielded his cheeks from a flush, but the racing heart within was not easy to cover up. With any luck, Zalanna would assume it fear rather than passion. After all, they had no idea if those kids saw her in dragon form!

Unsure what to do next, Izzavin turned his guilty eyes toward the lake. His lips pursed but not a word emerged. How could he say he was sorry? He got what he always wanted. But... it felt... wrong.

"Forgive me," he whispered, "princess."

At least they were alone. And, from the look of things, safe.

Izzy's response to her apology was much as Zalanna had expected. When he asked if it were her bear from coming for tea, she shook her head. It wasn't the bear, she couldn't tell what it was but she knew it wasn't that bear. After having spent time with it, if needed she could probably find it's aura even from here, but if there even was something out there, she knew not what it was.

She followed the male up, partly relying on him as he swam towards the shore. He seemed to find a lot of enjoyment out of her falling to the water over a little noise and she couldn't help but purse her lips and glare at him. That was when he heard something to, no, saw for Zalanna's eyes locked towards the woods again.

Hands still on his arms, her grip tightened slightly as she pulled herself to hide behind the male more. Even though her main dragon features were gone and she looked human, glittering white scales still littered her arms, shoulders and along her hair line, pretty much following near where her crest and wings had been.

"Izzy," she said, her voice sounding more like a fearful question as she moved closer to his back. Her eyes were still locked on the woods and the group that was coming; group, not singular for their scents mingled. Human. That was about as much as the Princess could really tell at that point. She could feel the fear of what to do welling up when Izzy suddenly gripped her shoulder.

He moved quick and it took a few moments for everything to actually make sense in the woman's head. Her back was wet, not from the water for that was gone; Izzy had pulled her onto the shore. She tried to shift, though the male held firm, but she could feel mud grit against her exposed skin, seeming to conceal the scales for the most part.

That tingle of magic and the smell from her memories filled her senses first, the heat of the male's body against hers second. He had moved in a way that forced her to shift her leg a bit and she could feel her face burning up from it. The thing she didn't want to think about was the pressure on her lips; she dared not open her eyes, though feeling the breath of another fall across her face time and time again as the male kissed her told her all she needed to know.
Kissing, he was KISSING her! But why? They had to somehow not look suspicious, but that? Why kissing? Rita would be furious to know she had kissed someone. That's when Zalanna's heart dropped.

Rita, she would be heartbroken to know of what happened. The soft lips that pressed against her lips time and time again, they were the ones that the other woman had sought after for so long. How would Zalanna be able to face her after this? How could Izzy even do something so easily?! Rita had forbade anyone getting close to her and when she had asked the woman questions on romance, she seemed taken back and never wanted to say anything. Such a thing though, the lack of space that separated the two, the way they touched one another; it was clearly an intimate action. If so, why did he find it so easy to do and to her of all people? She could feel the red coming to her cheeks.


When Izzy finally moved away from her, Zalanna gasped, having held her breath the whole time. She was half way back into the water, but slid in further to hid her burning cheeks, her gaze adverted from the male. Rita is going to be so upset, she thought to herself as she rolled her eyes back towards the male.

He apologized. Quietly, very quietly, but she heard it.

Zalanna returned her gaze to the water in front of her, dipping a bit lower to wash the rest of the mud off her once-again flesh. The blush had started to fade as she focused on her breathing. After a few moments of silence, she finally stood up, her soaked clothes making her look more mermaid than dragon, not that that would keep people from tailing them.

She had a small smile on her face as she looked back at Izzavin. "You did what you had to, to protect us," she said though mentally she was worried about what Rita would say when she found out, no, if, if was the word. Zalanna didn't want to tell her what happened but the red head always managed to find out everything she tried to hide.

Slowly walking over to the male, her hand found his elbow before moving down his forearm to grip his hand. Giving it a good squeeze she calmly said, "So, thank you." Along with the mental freak out that she let down the woman that took care of her for years was a celebration that she had managed to not just bolt off in a random direction to the heart of the wilderness.

Did what you had to, to protect us.

Was that the honest truth though? Izzavin's mind raced over other options. He could have ushered her toward the reeds. They could have tried hiding. Or he could have dragged her body willfully from the water and into the brush. But... both of those seemed impossible. Fresh water on land would cause the kids to seek out what left behind marks on freshly turned over soil. Hiding in the reeds would require stealth, something Zalanna had yet to learn.

Holding their breath beneath the water. Why was that not an option? He could have done it but, based on her heavy inhales, Zalanna wasn't ready for that just yet. Dragons were masters of breath for that's how they controlled any attacks that rolled from the maw. Zalanna had yet to be exposed to such opportunities so her lungs were still weak and unable to keep her chest from falling and raising every second. Izzavin, if push came to shove, could have probably held his breath for just shy of ten minutes. It wouldn't have been pretty but in life or death situations, pretty usually didn't matter.

Flight was out of the option. Zalanna was took weak, as was he. Fighting their way out? Ha, they would be no better than the dark lord that not held the thrown.

No matter how he looked at it, the kiss was the only logical way to divert the crisis at hand. Of course he enjoyed it but he wasn't about to let the dragon princess know that.

Small smile forming on his face, he nudged the woman at his side. As her hand squeezed his, he smirked.

"Hey now, don't get all soft on me. And don't think that counts too." A cocky look came to his glowing golden orbs. "If I actually wanted to kiss you, it would have been much better than that." Tongue emerging from between his lips, he teased her. Then, a second later, his hands ruffled up her hair. "Like it or not, I would go to the extremes to protect you. Even if it compromises my oath and honor, I would gladly go against code and conduct to ensure you are well and safe."

For a moment, his eyes grew ghostly. That radiant shine from before seemed to lessen, causing the gold to dull. "Still, it is probably best we not share this with anyone. An uninvited kiss bestowed upon royalty, life-saving or not, is punishable by death."

Releasing her hand, he tugged his head toward the north. "Dragons take relationships very seriously. I'm not sure what Tsuri told you about romance, but it's a pretty big deal, especially for royals. When the time comes, sorry it cannot be an 'if,' you will have a grand celebration in your honor. It'll be a week long festival to celebrate your future. The events will be a mix of things you like and things your mate likes. The culture will swell around both your backgrounds. If he is from the southern kingdom, there will likely be a lot of dancing. If he is from the north, it'll be more about the spirits and the stars. Every celebration is different; it's what makes the grand marriage so well-loved. Everyone from all over will come to marvel at your magical week."

As he spoke, Izzavin's eyes lit up with delight again. He had never witnessed a celebration, but one day a year there would be a small day of merriment. It always marked the anniversary of the joining of King and Queen. It was probably his favorite holiday for he always loved the apple treats.

Turning to glance down at Zalanna, he lightly elbowed her. "But hey, you don't have to worry about that anytime soon. First, we reclaim the kingdom. Then we can plan your wedding."

Moving through the woods, Izzavin sought out shelter. They could continue walking until dawn but that didn't seem like a great idea. Zalanna had spent most of the day flying and then crash-landed in the water. The woman was likely tired. And, if the kiss riled her up as much as it did him, sleep would probably put her mind at ease.

In due time, the duo stumbled upon a crack at the mountain's base. Brow piqued, Izzavin sucked in a breath of air (as if he were trying to remove a nonexistent gut). After some finangling, he managed to squeeze between the opening. He was only gone for a few seconds. The moment he returned, his horns poked through the opening. "Plenty of space in here. C'mon in," he chirped invitingly.

Once both were within the hidden caverns, Izzavin went to work getting a small firing going. He led Zalanna further into the cave, knowing if they lingered too close to the opening, that the heat of the fire would draw in unwanted guests. Probably a half-mile from the crack in the wall, he setup camp.

Vanishing, he would return with logs and firewood. When he finally had enough, he light rumble came from his throat. Then, like lightning, a flash of white came to his eyes. A second later, a small beam of light spewed out from between his lips. Much like a match, the raw energy quickly caught ablaze against the wood.

At least they would be warm here. Wherever here was.

As soon as Izzy's gaze drifted from her, Zalanna used her free hand to hide her one again reddening face behind the pale purple and blue scarf that hung around her neck. She plastered the wet fabric across her face as the scene from moments ago replayed in her head; his form lightly pressed against hers as they lay along the shore, his lips lightly brushing hers and each time they touch her a warmth fills her skin. Unlike before, the kiss wasn't rushed or forced, but filled with pleasant emotions.

A squeal almost left the woman's lips as she forced the image away; it was wrong to think of such things. Her eyes fell to the ground hoping that the night sky would at least help hide some of the vibrant color that now colored her cheeks. When he said that they should probably not share what happened with anyone, Zalanna slowly nodded her head.

Izzy didn't seem all that bothered by it, other than telling her that it would be best kept a secret. Her eyes slowly rose to his face, or what she could see of it. His confidence in what would happen was reassuring, something that the woman felt she needed more and more so early in the trip.

Rita hadn't told her much about dragon romance, but she was very strict on not letting Zalanna converse too much with men outside of work. Most of what she knew came from the books that Izzy had brought her through the years, and while some went into a bit of detail, most of it seemed very fairy tale-esque. From the way Izzy explained it all, the books didn't seem so far off at all. The idea of week long festivities seemed like a wonderful thing, but Zalanna couldn't even imagine it being about her taking a mate, such a thing was such a far off thought at that point.

There must have been some sort of distant look on her face as the male elbowed her lightly telling her not to worry, that they had to reclaim the kingdom first. "Hopefully not for a long while," she muttered under her breath at the thought of a wedding. As beautiful as it may be, Izzy's actions and her reactions told her she was about as ready to marry as a pre-pubescent human girl around her crush, only that wasn't right either for Zalanna didn't feel she could relate to the 'crush' part.

Zalanna was lost in thought, about many things and nothing at once; whatever mental war she was raging upon herself, when Izzy had found themselves shelter, every trace of the battle was gone leaving the woman lost to what had kept her occupied for so long. The woman slid into the crack in the wall, much easier than Izzy did with his added height and horns. Once he seemed to approve of their depth within the cavern, the woman sat down against a cave wall. The rock was cold to the touch, but the cold was a welcome feeling to her shoulders that seemed to start slowly aching as time went on.

Her eyelids felt heavy as Izzy left her in the decently sized cave room; it wasn't overly large but would fit the two of them comfortably with some room to spare. The woman's eyes rolled about the walls, even with it being dark, she was still able to see somewhat decently, far better than humans. Her eyes fell on the path way that led who knows where, it wasn't the way they had come in, the stale smell coming from it told her it probably went deeper in.

As Izzy returned, Zalanna's eyes lazily followed the male as she set down the wood he had brought in. As a flash of light lit up their small area, a small smile graced the woman's lips before the warmth hit her skin and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Much like Zalanna, Izzavin was far too tired to even worry about food. He could catch something the following morning and make certain they had leftovers for the day. It certainly didn't help that his heart was still a flutter from that kiss on the water's edge. There were so many things he wished he could have done. All of which were forbidden and grounds for lopping off his head. With a slight wince, he turned toward the heavens (of which he couldn't see). It was just a notion he did whenever he sought out her mother, his queen's, forgiveness. Would she allow such an action? Of course, it saved her daughter. But the exotic images that danced within his mind?

Coyly, he found no bolt of lightning striking him to his death. Either she was preoccupied or waiting to kill him when he least expected it--of course that would fall AFTER he helped Zalanna reclaim his kingdom. There was no way she was watching from above, violently shaking her husband going, "My new favorite OTP is Izzalanna!"

Actually, that sounded more like something the king would say. He was less formal, at times.

Still, would he do it again? That was the question that lingered on his heart. And, with firm resolve, he accepted the truth--he would and in a heartbeat too for every second with this woman was worth reliving.

With her eyes closing, the green haired guardian kept a watchful gaze on her. Or at least he tried. It was going semi-well, sans the nodding off from time to time. Usually he won't have cared but the fire was far too alive to not worry about. Perhaps he should have used less breath? Either way, he enjoyed watching the flames and shadows dance along her soft, gentle features.

"I am deeply envious of whomever your future mate may be," he whispered. His golden orbs showed sorrow; thankfully her slumber prevented her from seeing such a pitiful look. Not to mention, it was completely ill-placed. This was not the time to be swooning and dreaming about the princess, again. As always, there were bigger tasks at hand.

His orbs rolled back up to the ceiling. "Was I really the logical choice?" With a light smirk, he shook his head. The queen was truly an odd one. He didn't want to stay stupid, but foolish fit the bill.

---

He probably spent the next thirty-minutes thinking about tomorrow's journey. They were close, he knew that much. He had never really been to the location on the map, but he had a pretty good idea where it was. Like most of these dragon-related quests, there was always a cave or bridge involved. Due to the unexpected weather, they were closer than he originally suspected. He wasn't about to complain though, for Zalanna had a chance to stretch her wings. Not to mention, she doused him with compliments.

Looking over at her, he smiled. She was so sweet, so kind. It was a shame she was born during such dark times....

Adverting his gaze, a scowl followed. He shouldn't have been in on the coup d'etat. He loved the queen. He loved his job.

Sighing, a growl pursed his lips. Why did he let the darkness consume him. He was a dragon of light, not dark! He should have fought for justice and peace. Instead, he fought for blood and destruction. Was he really that corruptible? Easily manipulated?

Naive.

A voice from within spoke.

Afraid.

It called to him again.

Broken.

Head dipping, he wedged it between his elbows. The echoing words were everything he felt. Hell, they were everything he still felt. He was so out of place. So full of fear--and not the kind of fear most share. No, Izzavin was terrified of losing people. He feared commitment, the enemy could use it against him. He had seen it once and he never wanted to feel that kind of pain again.

---

When had he fallen asleep? He wasn't sure but when he awoke to an empty cave, his heart jumped to his throat. Eyes scanning every inch of the room, he spied no signs of a struggle. Why, Zalanna's bag was lazily tossed to the side.

Ears flicking forward, he listened to the sounds the bounced off the walls. Somewhere, deeper within the cave, he heard splashing. Orbs narrowing, he shifted. It was time to hunt whatever laid within.

His steps were hushed, impossible to hear. With each quick step, he grew closer and closer. The sound of water grew louder and, in no time, his eyes fell upon the reflective glow of a lake.

The cavern was illuminated with cyan and white plants. Plants most humans would never see for these were creatures of the dragon world.

They must have been close to their destination, he figured.

Rolling toward a rock, he gingerly lifted his head to survey whatever was moving in the lake. Only, when he saw a woman's form, he immediately ducked back behind the rock and nearly lost it.

OH YOU IDIOT, he chided internally.

Cheeks a bright red, he just sat there clutching his rock. He was never leaving this rock. It was his rock, his shield. If he saw a naked Zalanna....

No, no, no.

Forcing his eyes closed, he pictured his own death. Ah yes, his peeping would summon the queen in a mighty rage. She would drag him through hell and then spit him out in limbo. He would never get to the afterlife. She would make damn certain he would die alone. First he kissed her and now he was just inches away from a bathing woman.

Rocking lightly, he finally decided he ought to get out of there. With a swift roll, he ducked back around the corner. The distance between he and the bathing woman wasn't much, but it was a hell of a lot better than being on the backside of a boulder!

Zalanna's eyes slowly opened, peering into a much darker cave room now. The fire had mostly died away, leaving burning embers to glow ominously in front of her; if someone were to shift those coals, they probably roared to life in another fire. Slowly sitting up, she arched her back; that and her neck were definitely sore from sleeping against a rock wall all night, not to mention her still stiff shoulders.

The woman then sat there, looking about the cave lazily as she let the sleep fall off her. Rubbing her eyes to get the sleep from the corners, she spied the bags that Izzy usually carried not to far from his sleeping form. Making her way towards the bags, she knelt before them, her eyes falling to the sleeping man once again. Her head tilted as she took in his features; though sleeping, something seemed to pain him from the way his brows were knit together. It was an appearance that Zalanna never saw during their trip so far, he was usually pretty good at keeping that at bay.

Lifting a hand, she gently pressed her thumb on the creases the pained look created. She watched him for a moment like that, before turning her hand to cup the side of his head, her fingers resting across a long silver horn. As his face seemed to relax, Zalanna pulled away and looked back to her bag. Soap, she needed soap.

Riffling through the fabric satchel, her hands passed by various books and fabrics before landing on the coarse piece she was looking for; pulling it out, she opened one of the flaps to reveal the bar neatly wrapped up. She then reached in once more, grabbing various pieces of cloth before her eyes fixated themselves onto the path that led deeper into the cave. With half of the contents of her bag on the floor, she walked towards the looming darkness.

Walking through the pathway wasn't entirely difficult; like the room she was just in, she could make out shapes and seem rather decently in the dark. Something told her to head down that path though and soon the sound of water gave away just why; she hadn't questioned the fact that she was looking for soap and such, nor had she questioned how she even knew the water was there. Soon enough though, the tunnel opened up into a room that was dimly and beautifully lit by blue and white plants; the way they glowed cast a star-like reflection into the pool. Numerous waterfalls fell from the ceiling in even streams, the roar of the water echoing off the walls. The rocks in this larger room were damp from the mist it created, but it didn't smell stale like the pathway had.

At this point, Zalanna blinked slowly as though now she were questioning what had happened. But still, something told her that she could worry about such things later, for now she could bathe and soothe her aching body. Moving towards the water's edge, Zalanna sat down, removing her top as she swung her legs into the liquid. The water was cool, as to be expected from how deep in the cave it was, but it wasn't biting cold. The rocky floor and edge were sharp, but rather smooth, most likely worn away by the water itself.

Once her top was discarded to the side, the woman pushed herself into the pool and much like the sides, the bottom was also smooth. The water came up to waist and seemed to ease the ache wherever it touched. Letting out a sigh, Zalanna knelt down, letting the water reach up to her neck. While she hadn't thought she felt dirty, being in the pool felt amazing and left the woman feeling as though the waters were doing more than just cleaning any dirt and grime from her skin.

Standing once again, she retrieved the bar of soap she had brought with her and scrubbed her upper half before removing her bottoms and repeating the process, setting her skirt by the edge of the pool. Finally was her hair, the long blue locks had indeed taken a beating and would need a brushing, but for now she would taken advantage of being able to scrub it clean.


"You know it to be true," a small voice spoke up beside the hiding male. A small child stood beside the male, her red eyes staring up at him. Whether she startled him by her sudden presence or not did not concern the woman, nor did the fact that the slit pupils, wings, tail and horns easily gave away just what species she was.

The child then tilted her head, her gaze moving from the man towards the cavern he had just left. The decorated kimono she wore wasn't from the present day, nor was it something from a recent past that humans were learning about now. The old fabric that decorated the woman was old, ancient even and the embroidery and fabric gave away just how priceless an object it was. And even with the mist hanging so thick in the air, it never seemed to get wet.

"Your role, however, is far too great for you to be doubting anything," the child then said. From even where she stood she could not hear the Princess but knew where she was. "You must believe that all is possible, no matter how foolish it may be, for when you doubt, she doubts."

The girl fell silent for a moment, her arms tucked in her sleeves as she lowered her head, eyes closed. Her tail swished back and forth, back and forth. A smile slowly came to her lips as she said, "You have done well in protecting her thus far. You learn quick. The Queen was wise to have chosen you, for more reasons than you know."

Her eyes then locked on the male as she looked up. "You must trust her," she said as she lifted a hand, her palm pointing towards him as it started to swirl in a blue-white cloud, much like the plants within the next room. "Do not seek out the pain that she takes away. Do not fight for it to remain, but let it take wing and take flight. You do not find yourself worthy when you must. You are the Knight, you are the protector. You should hold no doubts within you about what must be done for the survival of all Dragonkin."

As the glowing faded the child then said, "You, more than anyone, should know the pain that the Princess is seeking to banish."

When a small voice came from nowhere, Izzavin turned a ghostly white color. He might have squeaked but, if he did, he wasn't aware of it. Honestly, why did anyone thinking sneaking up on someone was a good idea. Not to mention, sneaking up on him after he almost saw Zalanna in the nude. Ah, just thinking of it, he could feel his face turn bright red again.

Eyes wide, he soaked up the form before him. It took only seconds to realize she was a dragon. Even as a child, Izzavin knew better than to underestimate her. Dragons, regardless of age and size, are always powerful foes. To think otherwise was to think with a death wish. And as much as Izzavin wanted to die from embarrassment, he knew now was not the time to perish. He still had much work to be done.

The child didn't give him much time to size her up for she was spewing riddles and comments. She seemed to know what he was thinking, which was rather alarming. How could she know so much? Was he that easy to read? And what of the princess?

The princess!

A large wrinkle came between his brows. Fangs growing, he found himself ready to defend the woman in the water behind him. She was completely unaware of the intruder (or the fact that he almost saw her bathing). Still, he didn't have time to hide behind his blushing cheeks. He had a woman to protect. And although he knew nothing of his foe, Izzavin was ready to give it his all. He would die for her, if fate gave him such a cruel hand to fight with.

However, despite his reaction, Izzavin found no need to hurt the young dragon. It was... odd. Yes, he wanted to sink his fangs into her but something told him no. Something within him kept telling him to be calm, to listen.

Using logic, he began to put the puzzle together. If she wanted, she could have killed Zalanna by now. She hadn't. And the fact that she spoke of him as a knight caused Izzavin to really question just who she was. Only a select few knew this. As he mused over how she could know, a light from within turned on. Seconds later, a look of disbelief crossed his face.

Was this... was this the first dragon? The Dragon of Faith?

Based on the cavern's location, he could see it being true. The intricate designs and glowing patterns also matched what he heard stories of. Not to mention, her attire matched the images found in old books and lore. And, if this dragon was the Dragon of Faith, that would explain how she could read his thoughts and know so much about he and Zalanna.

Lips pursed, he bowed slightly before the young dragon.

"My apologizes for not realizing just who you are, Faith." His hand moved across his chest before it balled into a fist before his heart; it was the bow he used on the royals. "Though," he returned to his relaxed state, "I do not understand why you speak to me. I am not of royal blood." His brow hiked up as he gazed with a piqued interest at her.

He tilted his head to the side, trying to figured out why she would speak to him. Was it because she didn't want to frighten Zalanna? Izzavin tilted his head the other way. So it made more sense to sneak up on him? The one who was fleeing from seeing a woman in the water. Not that he was fleeing from that. No, no, had it been any other woman, he might have asked to join her. But it just had to be Zalanna. Zalanna, the princess.

"Mind if I join?" Yeah, that wasn't about to happen. Not to mention, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off her. Or his lips. Or... well, you get the picture.

Face ever red, he quickly cleared his throat to shake off the images. At one of her comments, he responded. "And I do trust her. I just... I don't trust myself." His gaze fell to the side. "You know what I did and you know why I'm hesitant. I'm not sure the past, my past, should be so quick to forgive. Had I..." He bit his tongue. "Well, you know."

With a sigh, he shot Faith a crestfallen look. "Not to mention, if the Royals saw me now. Or what I had done yesterday." His hands moved around his neck. "Yeah, I'm really not sure they picked the right man for the job. A woman would have been less tempted." His golden orbs rolled to the side. He could hear her splashing. The urge within wanted to peak but he knew he couldn't. He knew his role. He also knew that a princess would never fall for nor marry a knight.

"Still, I thank you for your wisdom." He offered her a forced smile.

Faith did nothing to return the male's formal welcoming, merely watched him. He was quick to give into his doubt and it poured out to her, though many dragons that sought out her help would often pour out their souls in hopes that she would appear. It was the purpose of the cave; those that doubted or were weak in faith would find their way to her caves, though they wouldn't really know why.

She watched him in silence, her eyes moving across him as though she were reading him like a book, reading all there was to see in the past, now and what was to come. She made no movement to interrupt him or correct anything that he may have said. He was correct that she knew what he did, but not all dragons held grudges, especially those that were spiritually part of the plans of time as the Four Dragons of Lore were.

Her eyes fell before her, his words painting a picture all of their own, his feelings and thoughts behind those words building a vibrant world of despair. It was when he thanked her for her wisdom that she pulled a tiny hand from her sleeve and held it up, her red orbs locked on him, her face still calm and unwavering. "I am not wisdom so I have not bestowed such a gift upon you," she state firmly and in a manner that hinted that she was far older than not only he may have imagined, but far older than the male himself.

As Faith's eyes looked up to the ceiling of the tunnel they were in and the same cyan and white plants that were in the large lake filled room began to blossom on the ceiling, branching into the cavern and spreading more. "They are called Hope Lilies," she said as she watched them creep, growing much faster than any normal plant should. "The cavern seeks out the hope of those that have faith in the one that seeks answers," she then said, her eyes slowly making her way back down to the male again.

"Princess Zalanna Kennyrathem, royal through blood but not crown has already garnered the hope of many, though neither she nor they realize it. The hope for a true leader, a fair leader, hope and redemption. Our people have been seeking this, hoping for this and with Zalanna's presence in the pools, that hope and faith in her graces her skin. Their hope fills the pools, or lake as you see it now."

Falling silent, Faith reached out to one of the mushroom looking 'lilies' that bloomed on the wall beside her. It hovered over her hand and soon a bright blue cloud appeared and soon and image filled it. It was dark, there were bars and whomever they were seeing through, they were sobbing, their vision shook and wounds both old and new could be seen. "Looks like we're losing another one, a toxic voice said before spitting to the ground. The image went dark as the sobs became louder. At least we still have the mate, the voice then said before the sound of two men laughing could be heard before the door slammed and all was silent. The image was blurry and shaky, tear clouded vision looked through bars to a tiny, straw filled cell much like the one this person was in. There lie a woman, her hair a brilliant pink color with matching wings, lay motionless on the floor. Her body was decorated with bruises, cuts and scars. She was his mate and through the torture of man, he had lost her. He cried loudly, his raspy voice calling out for help, for salvation.

Lowering her hand, the image faded. "Many of our kind have fallen to such a fate, some have fates far worse, others far easier as they hide their identities," she said, a calm voice prevailing even after the sight they had just seen. She let that vision sit with the male for that was his burden, but it was not because of what he had done. Zalanna's responsibilities fell to saving their people, to responding to their calls for hope. Izzy's job was to protect her from the evils that cause that desperate hope, to make sure that she was able to be the light their people needed.

"Dwelling on the past shall not help you in this matter," Faith finally said as she stroked the mushroom, it glowed brighter before a glowing trail danced along the rocks, towards the lake, like all the others. "But I am not courage so I shall not lecture you on that, nor can I grant you its boon."

Looking back up at the much taller male, she continued. "You doubt your role as a Knight, as the Princess's first Knight. A first Knight must never doubt their leader nor themselves for doubt clouds judgement and can make you slow to act or even to act incorrectly." It was then that the small woman stepped past the male, standing near the mouth of the cavern. "You are both a dragon from the golden age, but also from our darkest years. You have seen the peace and war, you know the customs and ways of our people. Yet, there is much that you have yet to learn White Dragon."

Reaching a hand out towards the male, she bent her fingers slowly, ushering him towards the mouth beside her. "Come, see the hope and faith our people already have in our Princess." When Izzavin would step forward, he would see that the lake had grown tremendously; its shores nearly lapping the very tunnel in which they stood. The Hope Lilies that seemed to cast stars into the water now full illuminated the room; it was much larger than it had originally looked. Zalanna, who was now standing in the middle of the lake, had most of her back to them, her eyes dancing across the brightly glowing plants.

Pulling her other hand from her pocket, Faith looked back to Izzavin once again. "Through your trust in her and you, Zalanna loses doubt. Our people will fill her with the power to continue, the power to save them. But for you, one who has lost his way, you require more." Opening her palm to the male, at first there was nothing but then, a bright light white, much like Izzavin's, swirled in the female's hand. As the light faded sat what appeared to be a stone, and while only 3 inches in height, it looked massive on the dragon's hand. Though many would think it to be nothing more than polished stone, the power inside would reverberate with Izzavin.

"The most powerful of bond comes from the love of family," Faith said and the stone seemed to come to life. "And while your trial of love is to pass, family bestows upon one another many other gifts." Faith ran her hand over half of the stone and soon its true colors burst foward; a beautiful swirling, golden color, almost like yello fire appeared in the shape of a tooth, one typical for a Fire dragon. "A mother," Faith said as she looked back up at the male. "Wishes for her son to be kind and loving, to lead and be fair. She hopes for them to follow the light and not succumb to darkness." Knowing how painful of a past this could bring up, Faith moved her hand over the other half of the stone before Izzavin could respond.

"A father," she said, her hand moving away to reveal yet another fang, curved and sharp, deadly and swirling with the colors of a rainbow, the colors of light; the fang of a light dragon. "Wishes for his son to protect and be strong, to know when to act and when to forgive. They are to know and understand sacrifice and they wish for them to aspire to not only be like them, but to surpass them."

Faith held the stone out to Izzavin as she said, "Your parents have such great hope for you, if you would only let them in. They hurt knowing the past clouds you so, especially when you have such greatness that you can achieve. Your father was a very wise dragon, one that many looked up to, though many did not know him. He was wise and powerful and wished for you to be able to follow him one day. They wish to be with you as you fight through your darkness, taking a seat in a place only thought of as legend."

When Izzavin would take the stone, the center would flash brightly, before fading to reveal a much small fang, swirling a pearly white, but mixed in with that white was the darkness that had started to settle within the male. "They shall reveal more to you over time, but for now, it is up to you to put your hope and faith in yourself and into your Princess. Your mother could not be more proud of where you are today."

It was then that the rock, nearly submerged by the lake, but the closest spot to the Princess, a Hope Lily appeared. Faith could feel that lily was filled with hope, a hope more desperate than even the darkest of fates any other dragon had met. It had bloomed larger and brighter than any other lily there and as it glowed, the water around Zalanna began to glow a brilliant shade of Cyan. "When the hope of one is met with a faith just as strong, only then can the path of a true leader begin."

As the lights from the water grew brighter, a smell began to fill the air; it was a woodsy smell, more specifically of Japanese Cypress, a plant that was often burned for religious purposes and at temples. It had been from the soap that Zalanna had used.

Zalanna's body began to glow as a breeze picked up in the caverns; the look on Zalanna's face did seem scared by what was going on, rather, her eyes were closed, a determined look on her face. A transformation that Izzavin had seen not long ago played out again. As an aqua crown-like fan began to crest the woman's head, a pair of brilliant white wings began to spread. "And only a true leader of our kind may be allowed to rule our kind, but the graces of the Faith of our people, Zalanna shall be permitted to properly bathe."

The once showering woman's form continued to to change, the glow of the plants seemed to leave the walls and mingle with her wind like glitter as her much larger, scale-y form melded back to reality. Her head was held high, though it was no more in danger of bumping the ceiling than she was before. The water falls that fell from the ceiling seemed to multiply more and more; the glowing waters falling over her head, wings and back.

Zalanna was still for many moments, only the sound of water falling could be heard as the glittering wind seemed to subside. Bright teal eyes snapped open, they nearly appeared to be glowing themselves. The dragon's chest noticable inflated as she took a deep breath, then stepping a foot forward, Zalanna's wings extended as a powerful roar errupted from her throat. As soon as that roar started, the Hope Lilies and glitter from before seemed to explode outward in a rainbow ring. It was a power pulse for one of the gifts the Old Gods bestow upon their leader is to allow them to properly empower their people. While Zalanna may have her own magic and an abundance at that, she is not that one that grants her the power to be the battery for her people.

Faith looked pleased with herself, for though she did not need the power from the Royals to complete her role, she could feel the increased power, which told her the other Old Gods felt it as well. "Be with your Princess," she said without looking at the male. "It is the Knights job to forever remain by her side."

The whole ordeal was beginning to take its toll on Izzavin. The more Faith spoke, the more he found himself retreating within. She ushered a wave of faith but Izzavin lacked the courage to grab onto it. He still blamed himself for Zalanna's fate and he refused to part with that past. It was that past the defined who he was. The cowardly fool who fell victim to Gauss' taunting tones. The traitor who cast chaos in the era of peace. It was he who split dragon from man and turned his kind into a prize to be won.

Hallow, dull eyes looked lifelessly at Faith. Try as hard as she might, her words fell on deaf ears. There was nothing she could say that would shake this feeling from him. To the core, his bones ached with the pain he caused his kind, his kingdom.

When she projected visions of dragons in anguish, it only forced him back more. Soon, darkness was all he could see. The light that guided him from time to time was gone. No color nor display of hopeful lights would pull his soul back from the shadowy grave he continued to seek out.

"Izzavin," a voice from within rumbled, "don't let go of the past. Instead, let it dictate your future. To forget the past is to be a fool. Use it like a crutch and build from it. You know your wrongs. You've seen the destruction you've brought. Now, from the ashes and blood of the broken, find faith in Zalanna. Let her restore what was destroyed."

Izzavin's gaze adverted.

"Don't run from this. Embrace it. Darkness was on the horizon. You could have joined it but, at the last second, you found the light. No, the light found you."

Interest piqued, Izzavin turned his gaze to the warm glow that danced within his mind. What did the voice mean?

"You knew Gauss was going to attack the crown regardless of your involvement. Although you cannot see it for you've buried it within your heart, you joined to prevent the death of the king and queen. You were a double agent, planting yourself right at the center of chaos.

"When you learned of the darkness, you tried to run. You wanted to tell them everything but a darkness kept you back. Reach into your memories? What do you recall?"

His brows furrowed. What did he remember between the time he joined Gauss and the time he killed the queen?

The harder he thought, the more he realized there was a ripple in his memories. Everything was hazy, as if a permanent blur was cast on everything.

Stepping back, his lips fell apart.

"You cannot see for you were not in control. Light's greatest weakness is truth and faith. You believed with every bit of your core that you could convert Gauss from his dark path. And, when you least expected it, that unyielding hope from within blinded you to the reality. Where you saw good, evil was happening.

"You fought with pure heart against a man without virtues. A man without love. And, when you finally went to face him, you met the cold kiss of death. You were cast into an abyss with no chance of survival."

A cold chill ran down his spin. There was something taunting about these eerie words. There were fragments of memories, moments were the haze seemed to pull away. And, in those moments, Izzavin could see his withered hands caked in decay. Darkness, it was all around him.

The tunnel vision had one fleck of light at some distance point so far away that it could easily be missed. And yet, Izzavin felt it. He pulled his way toward it. He could see it grow, ever slowly, larger. Larger and larger until....

"You fought your way out from the pit that Gauss cast you in. You found the courage to do what was right for you loved the royals deeply. You knew not why you had such feelings, but you knew that you had to trust in yourself and fight to the very end.

"When you did eventually emerge from the abyss, your light had been snuffed. You no longer had hope for it was drained. Your love was lost. Your courage, frayed and torn. Even your knowledge was corrupted.

"You saw only one vision--Gauss' twisted future. Blinded by the darkness you knew for far too long, you followed out your order. You killed the queen. Only, she didn't go down without a fight. Using the last of her strength, she pulled the darkness from your scales and forced the light back into your eyes.

"In that instant, you knew what you did was wrong. Since then, you have run from it. You've believed that it was you who killed the queen. It was not. You, Izzavin Larrak, are not who you think you are.

"Light and dark, they are the same thing. Do not fear the darkness. Embrace it. Learn from it. Never let it consume you. The stronger your connection with darkness, the greater your light.

"On the darkest of nights, the moon glows the whitest. This is what you must remember. Consume the dark to glow your truth colors.

"Accept that, although twisted into the chaos, you were the catalyst to bring about the change. Gauss had no idea you would survive. He has no idea you're alive. And, better yet, he didn't get the pleasure of killing the queen.

"Argue if you will, but know that the visions you've seen, the ones of you following out Gauss' orders to kill her, are not true. They are illusions you created to hide yourself from the truth. The truth that you killed the queen not out of command, but out of love. You killed her because you know that, if you didn't, Zalanna would never see the light of day.

"When she forgave you, you never understood why. Now you do."

The warm glow subsided and Izzavin found a strange feeling within his chest. Hand slowly handing on it, he batted his lashes. The shadows and familiar voice slowly wafted away.

With a calm exhale, he glanced down at his palm.

I... I killed the queen to ensure Gauss wouldn't get her holy powers. I did it so she knew I would protect Zalanna, and never let his darkness corrupt her.

It was... strange. Never before had he felt... nothing. There was nothing. Often he felt riddled by guilt or fear. But now, at this very moment, he felt nothing. It was almost as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders and now there was a void of weight.

Pulling his eyes toward the fangs, he saw visions of his mother. She smiled while slowly stroking his cheek. Then, off to her right, was a face he had never seen before. It was a stoic face that was surrounded by a sea of white hair with green tips. And those orbs, golden much likes his own, seemed solid. Whoever this man was, confidence engulfed him.

Slowly, his hand reached forward to touch the fangs, only to Izzavin they were the faces of his mother and the mysterious man.

"You look just like him," her voice spoke to him. Then, her hand entwined with the hand of the man at her side. The man with the golden orbs then planted a tender peck on her cheek before releasing her hands and transforming into a...

A...

Izzavin's head rolled back as his jaw fell ajar.

A white dragon.

A seen warm breeze washed over him. As he closed his eyes to breath in the minty freshness of it, a small smile tugged on the corner of his lips.

Head falling forward, his eyes opened before shifting to view Zalanna bloom into a massive dragon. As her size grew, so did the cave.

At his side, the little Faith continued to speak. Although her words didn't reach him completely, he did catch the last part.

Brow cocked, he snaked his arms across his chest. "I am with my Princess."

Almost like something out of a movie, he turned his head slowly to glance behind him. When his eyes met hers, a white glow pulsed over him. Wisps of white, almost like fresh snow, danced around him. As they danced, the shadows behind them flickered and flashed to reveal his true dragon form. Izzavin would not transform, for he had no need to, but the glow that swarmed him carried his dragon aura.

With cautious footing, he turned so that he was perpendicular to the princess. Head still turned toward his shoulder, his golden orbs ran over her majestic form.

"And I shall forever stay at her side, you have no need to worry about that."

A small smile came to the woman's face as she felt the surge of power from the male as he confidently replied that he was with his princess. "That is good, for she shall require you more than you may think on this journey," she said as she slowly walked towards the male, stopping before where the magic created dragon head was. Tilting her head to the side, she looked at the massive white form, a look in her eye as though it was familiar to her. Reaching up, she lightly touched that magic as she said,

"You can feel it, yes? Her ability to magnify her powers has started with the start of the trial. Once completed, should and when the two of you pass, that amplification shall remain. Her reach is not as vast as the Queen's but those close enough will feel the difference. Be wary though, for it has been a long time since not only you, but the rest of dragon kind has had a boost in their magic.

"There may be some that try to seek out where this new power came from, others may use it for less than just purposes after the treatment of humans for so long." The small woman's eyes then glaced up at the large white dragon whom seemed to have taken an interest in the fact that she had transformed so quickly and so easily. "Keep her safe, White Knight."

A swirl of black and purple smoke wrapped around the woman before a much longer, thin black and purple dragon were before them. She was very snake-like with two small wings on her back; though nowhere near the size of Izzavin or Zalanna in their dragon forms, she was easily taller than the male in his human form as she stood on her back legs.

Stretching those short wings, they didn't seem all that impressive, but the burst of wind they produced was more than enough to get the creature airborne, towards its next destination. Faith flew high into the cavern, her claws grasping onto a stalactite that hung some distance away from the white dragon. Though hanging upside down, the dragon was able to turn its neck so that it was able to look at her at a normal angle.

It is an honor to finally meet you Princess Kennyrathem, a voice came to Zalanna's mind. She looked around, this way and that, confused as to where it was coming from. Up here, Your Highness, the voice came again and the dragon indeed looked up. Her bright teal orbs fell upon a dark figure that seemed to glitter with specks of gold; crimson eyes meeting hers.

Zalanna's eyes narrowed, looking at the much smaller creature and leaning towards it she asked, Do I, know you?. A smile seemed to come from the other's eyes as she shook her head.

I know of you, but we have never met, child, the dragon replied as it reached from the hanging rock formation it was clung to and touched the top of the dragon's white muzzle. The Princess didn't move, not because she couldn't, but because she didn't feel the need to have to move away from the other dragon. That and the fact that seeing another winged serpent was quite the sight and she didn't want to move away in fear that it would vanish.

When Zalanna didn't move, Faith continued her next trek; her hind legs and body slowly unraveled themselves from the rock and soon she was coiled on the other's snout. With her forearms resting on the top of one of her lithe sections, she sat quiet for several moments.

You are very much like them, the dragon said, the inner voice soft, full of endearment. You are truly the child of your parents, she continued. You have the heart and forgiveness of your mother and the energy of your father. Zalanna's eyes lit up and the excitement of those words echoed in the other dragon as she closed her eyes, nodding slowly.

But, she then said, her eyes opening again, seeming much more serious than before. Like your father, your heart holds much doubt, fear and hesitation. A dark swirling cloud then appeared between them and within in, images of fire, things were burning and there was a frightened looking dragon off in the corner as others came in to put out the inferno. After that, he refused to use his element except for when absolutely necessary. The cloud then vanished and the smaller dragon looked at the massive white one again.

You must believe in yourself and those closest to you. You task ahead is not an easy one, but should you succeed, our people will see prosperity like never before. But you must have faith. And with that Princess, your first trial begins.

As the voice of the dragon faded away, darkness swirled around Zalanna and Izzavin; even with her sight, she couldn't see through this. It seemed to fade just as quickly, leaving the two beside each other, Zalanna back in her original clothing, clean of course.

The Princess blinked, looking around and the blackish-purple glossy rock walls around them before looking down at her hands; she was human again. Her eyes then fell on Izzy, burning with excitement. She lunged towards him, her hands gripping his shirt as she said, "That was Faith, wasn't it?!" Her voice was nearly a squeal as she looked up at him. "Was it, was it really Faith?!"

Despite his little facade, a chill ran down Izzavin's spine. Sure, he felt a surge of confidence pulse within his core but it was fleeting. The second Faith moved to Zalanna, the green haired male was rubbing his neck nervously. This whole quest would be about faith. Faith, as in trust and belief. Could he really do this? Stand loyally beside this woman with a dark secret hanging like a black cloud above his head?

The voices within told him all would be fine, that things would work out. But the doubt kept lapping over him like waves on a beach at high tide. The longer he stood their in isolation, the deeper this fear ran.

Darkness soon swirled around him and when his vision returned, he saw the young princess racing toward him. She seemed goofy, as usual. Whatever had happened seemed to put her in a good mood. Was it the bath? No, it was likely Faith.

Sure enough, she brought up Faith. Inwardly, he wanted to tell her yes but he was a bit humorous right now. His nerves were on the fritz. He was still shaking about the truth being exposed and Izzy often coped with harsh realities with humor.

"What?" He fought to suppress his bark-like laugh. "Are you crazy? That was my cousin, Celeste." Everything about his face suggested that he was speaking the truth, save for that light glimmer in his eyes.

Punching her lightly, his other hand looped around her neck before ruffling up her hair. "Silly, princess." His heart was all a flutter but he still pulled her into him. Nuzzling her, he found his anxiety drop some; it was a bad idea to be nervous around this woman for she would quickly catch on that something was wrong. With a firm exhale, he spun the lovely lady around.

"So where to next?"

The answer followed immediately as the black-purple rock wall broken open. Wind rushed though the newly formed crack, causing Izzavin to scowl as it tangled his disheveled hair. As the wind continue to pound them, Izzavin's eyes shifted further down the dark cavern. "There's another entrance," he tilted his horns toward a narrow gap in the wall. While swinging his head back to look at Zalanna, another fleck of light caught his attention. "Uh, looks like there's one over there too."

Stepping forward was a struggle but he managed to overcome the hurricane-like wind. Standing with his back to the sheer wind, he blocked it from hitting Zalanna, thus giving the woman a chance to pick their move.

He didn't want to be rude but she really needed to hurry. His body was starting to fatigue from the force that pushed him closer to the woman and the spiked wall behind them. Second by second, his boot lost its gripping, pushing them ever so closer to the jagged edges at Zalanna's back.

"Don't mean to rush you," he said from behind grit teeth, "but sooner would be better than later. As much as I enjoy shish kabobs, I really don't feel like becoming one." His golden orbs jerked to the sharp stone structures behind her, signaling that they needed to hurry.

"Trust yourself," his hand crawled to her face. Cupping it lightly, he offered her an antagonized smile. "I believe in you."

When Izzy said that, that dragon hadn't been Faith, but his cousin Celeste, Zalanna gave him a confused look; she hadn't expected him to lead them to his cousin. He was soon pulling her close, an action that was soon starting to become a habit, or at least having him close was.

Wind started to rush around them, causing concern to rise from the male. The blue haired woman looked at their possible routes before Izzy started telling her they should get going soon. Her eyes flicked from passage to passage, not sure which one would be better, it wasn't like she knew where either of them went.

He pulled her gaze up, telling her he believed in her and that she should trust herself. She nodded firmly at him before looking at the two paths again. She didn't focus on the walls closing in around them, but tried to feel which one felt right.

"This way," she finally said, grabbing Izzavin's hand and pulling him through one of the pathways. As the rock pressure walls connected behind them, it threw the two into complete darkness for a few moments. The sound of wind seemed to echo on the walls, though as it neared them, they learned it wasn't wind, but the sound of flame taking light as torches along side either sides of the first path lit up.

As the pathway lit up, it illuminated the walls that were of purple and blue reflective stone. "Whoa," Zalanna said as she let go of Izzy's hand, pressing it against the rock, her reflection mirroring the action; the whole pathway was like one solid mirror. She turned back towards the male. "Now what?" She asked, not fully certain as to what they were supposed to do down there.

Izzavin rolled his eyes while shrugging. "I don't know," he purred with a sassy grin on his smug face. "It's not like I've done this quest before. I wasn't even sure if the legends were true. If I had to guess, we're going to walk down this path and start to learn about our history. Right now, you don't know a whole lot about dragons, sans what I taught you but that's only bits and pieces. And I'm guessing at some point you'll learn about your birth and what a joy it brought both mankind and us dragons."

His hand slid against the smooth reflective surface. He caught a glimpse of himself and smirked. He hadn't really seen his reflection in quite some time. He had grown. He was no longer that baby-faced little knight that the queen first found. No, now he was a male with a slender face and stern features. His horns, he had never seen them before, so he was instantly drawn to them. His hand traced their form on the glossy surface.

A part of him wanted to transform into a dragon but he lacked the energy. Besides, he could always gawk at his handsome form later--once they reclaimed the kingdom.

Hand slipping down from his awestruck gaze, he shifted his eyes from his form to hers. Zalanna was still as pretty as ever and her face seemed to reflect from wall to wall, engulfing him in her sweet smile with that confused look on her brow.

"Let's go," he said while glancing one last time at his green hair. He never understood why he had it for green had nothing to do with his white dragon form. Still, he found it enjoyable. He often wondered if it had something to do with his father--whoever he was.

Stepping toward the unknown, the walls began to dance with images. No longer their reflections, Izzavin smirked. He was right. It was time for a quick trip down memory lane. It was time she learn of who she is and her role in restoring dragon kind.

A voice, soft like a summer breeze, sung to them a tale of their kind.

Centuries ago and egg fell from the sky and into the hands of a poor farmer boy. Not knowing what it was, he cared for the opal egg as if his life depended on it. While on his death bed, a large crack crawled across the surface of the egg. With his last breath on his lips, he beheld the most magical sight within his fading eyes--a dragon.

Before parting to the afterlife, the dragon spoke to him in riddles, thanking him for caring for her while she grew within her egg. The man only smiled before falling limp against the cloth sheets.

His grandson, a boy with a heart as pure as gold, was left behind without a man to care for him. The dragon knew this and decided to raise the boy as her own. Only, as they aged, the dragon came to realize that the love she had for the boy was not one of maternal caring. No, rather she had grown to truly love the man he had grown into.

Though no prince nor noble, the dragon decided she couldn't imagine living without the man she grew beside for so many years. She had every intention of wedding him only man's greedy nature seemed to have another plan in store.

As she returned home from her daily flight, she found the scent of blood think in the area. His body, mangled lay helplessly on the ground. Rushing to his side, she demanded to know what happened so she could seek fiery revenge. Only, her beloved refused to share the name or face of the human who wronged him. He said that revenge would only set the races apart. She needed to find love, compassion. She would need to unite the races by proving that love could concur all.

Broken hearted, the dragon took to the mountains. She swore to never love again and to die alone. And she almost upheld that promise.

It was one day while she stalked in the woods that she found a man on horseback singing to a flock of birds. Bemused, she kept to the shadows to see just what this man was doing. He came with seeds and fed the wildlife, thanking the birds for their glorious morning songs and evening lullabies.

Revealing herself, she questioned what the man was doing. He explained that without the animals, man couldn't survive. He explained that everything is connected and that for life to exist, they needed to work together.

Moved, the dragon decided she would follow this man to learn more. As she did, she came to learn that he was no ordinary man. He was, in fact, a prince who would soon take over as king.

Moved by his actions and compassion, she allowed her heart to love again. Only, like last time, her heart would break.

War ripped the country apart and her prince threw his life away when he jumped in front of an arrow meant for his beloved dragon wife. Gripped with grief, the dragon unleashed a hellish fire unlike anything ever seen before. She laid seige to all the nearby kingdoms and refused to let man live. She was a mighty dragon and these humans were unworthy of her compassion.

Or so she believed.

As she huffed in a breath to spew her brilliant flames, she caught sight of a man who thrust his arms aside. He told his fellow peers to flee, stating that he would die to protect them. No other had dared to dance with her so she decided to take this man's challenge up. If he could best her, she would stop her vengeful attacks.

Sure enough, the man was able to match her strength. He should have killed her for he had the upper hand only, instead of spilling her blood, he forgave her. He explained that war has a way of ruining lives. He spoke of how his fiancee was killed and how he knew her pain.

Once again, the dragon decided she would give this human a chance. She fell in love far harder and deeper than thought. Running away into the mountains, the two found peace in their isolation. That was until a nest with five eggs finally hatched.

Bit by bit, dragons would start to grow in numbers. And although her beloved partner died long before she did, the dragon clung to his ideals and used them to create a treaty between man and dragon. Dragons would aid man and man would aid dragons.

Izzavin had heard this story when he was younger. He could actually hear his mother telling him the story, which caused a bittersweet smile to form on his face. To think, he had forgotten about that story and how the first dragon struggled to find a reason to be with man. Time and time again, she lost her partner but in the end she did find happiness.

Placing his hand on the woman's shoulder, he offered her a sincere smile. "Even when things seem dark and gloomy, there's always light somewhere. Darkness cannot exist without it. You just need to seek it out and all will be okay. As you saw, she struggled. You'll struggle too. But you have me." His hand sprawled out across his chest. "I would die a thousand times to keep your dream alive." As soon as the words came out, he realized it was probably a bad idea. Zalanna would be furious if he died, though it was the role he had. He was a knight. If Zalanna came into harm, he wouldn't have a choice. It would always be his life. She had to live. It was the whole reason he existed--to keep her safe.

Zalanna smirked, shaking her head as she looked back at the reflective stone, walking alongside Izzavin, her hand remaning on the cool rock. A voice came to mind, or so it felt, a whisper somewhere in her mind as the rocky walls came to life with images, like the past replaying itself to the story that they were being told.

She watched the man care for an egg that the heavens seemed to drop to him, she watched as the young dragon spoke to the now older man before he slipped away. The scene and story continued to play on as that same dragon lived with the man's grandson, raising him until he grew older, when she fell in love with him. In his dying breath, he told her not to go after those that attacked him.

Zalanna's eyes softened, ached for the pair. She watched the dragon run, instead of seeking the vengence the man had asked her to not seek.

Again, she fell in love and again her heart would break as the man was killed in combat, though this man was to be King, not a farmer. She could feel the pain of the heartbreak in her chest, the rage and abandon this dragon felt. Zalanna stopped, her hand tracing the fierce head of the beast as its hellish flames licked the surface of the Earth, insinerating those that got swept up in her wrath.

Yet, even as she felt these emotion surge through her, she could feel herself very much rooted, though if it were just how she was or another force, the Princess didn't know. Soon, there was one that sought to protect, rather than kill and together the first dragon nest had been laid.

"Humans are not all evil," Zalanna said, her tone soft though there was a confidence in it. "Just as not all dragons are good, not all humans seek out greed and destruction."

Izzy approached her at that point, putting a hand on her shoulder. His words made sense; even living with Rita, she had seen the good and bad that many places had to offer. It was what he said about dying for her that caused the woman's brow to furrow slightly as she shook her head. "I wouldn't want you to die for me," she said, a sorrow in her voice. "Not after how long it took me to find you in the first place."