Chapter 668: Reality Comes Crashing Down

Chapter 668: Reality Comes Crashing Down

Though Argrave had been all but told that he might be expected to return the favor later down the line, for now, he wasn’t opposed to accepting the convenience of Jaray’s free help. Getting something for nothing had always been his preferred way of doing things. And help Jaray was—he helped Argrave mitigate any tension with Law, mostly by being a convenient cushion to the truth of the matter.

“Argrave was understandably terrified by the prospect of the White Planes collapsing,” Jaray had said to Law smoothly. “Is it any wonder he went to you, the only god who he could trust to keep their word? Truly, all that he asked of you was what was already established by the agreement made to form the Blackgard Union. Can it really be considered a wrongdoing, especially when done at the advice of others?”

Jaray’s intervention was rather like a mother swooping in to abate a father’s wrath. There was some disapproval expressed, some words of disappointment levied, and some questions about whether or not they were hiding further information. But with the setup Jaray had given him, Argrave felt like it was child’s play to bat all the questions aside and preserve the goodwill that had been established so long ago. Law went away renewing his vow to protect Sophia, but reminding Argrave that half-truths compromised authority and justice.

After, Jaray offered to help more, swaying favor toward Argrave regarding his intention to assume the role of the Blackgard Union’s leader. They decided instead to look to Jaray’s offer: attending the meeting. It was only then that they were free of him, and only then that they had the opportunity to relay what Jaray was like to their companions. Argrave told all—every beat of their conversation.

“You know what he likely is, don’t you?” Anneliese asked once he’d finished describing things to the others.

“A catspaw of the Heralds.” Argrave closed his eyes. “Meaning he’s hearing everything that we’re talking about, now.”

Elenore narrowed his eyes. “Perhaps you ought not call him a catspaw, then. Are you sure of this?”

“He dodged the question when we brought it to him. It was clear to me he didn’t intend to answer.” Anneliese shrugged. “That’s no proof, but there’s knowing something and knowing something.”

“You didn’t press him?” Durran asked.

“I felt we got our answer the moment he wormed his way past the first question.” Argrave tapped Durran’s shoulder. “But if it makes you feel better, I intend to pose it again when we meet outside of Law’s Court.”

“We’re going?” Galamon raised a brow.

Argrave looked at him. “We can’t afford to waste valuable days of time on a wild goose chase searching for lunar dragon descendants. Whether a trap or a genuine dialogue, this is worth confronting.”

The Veidimen commander nodded solemnly. “I urge caution. Securing safety around the world is more important than this meeting.”

Orion looked about to say something in disagreement, but Argrave beat him to it. “That’s why Anne and I are going alone.”

All Argrave’s advisors looked at him in shock.

“Their reactions don’t surprise me,” Anneliese said to Argrave almost as if the others weren’t there. “They didn’t see us fight in the Shadowlands.”

Argrave nodded to her, then looked to Elenore. “Can you stay here, get a grip on things? In particular, while he’s absent, find out what you can about Jaray.”

“I can do that. You’re sure about this?” Elenore questioned.

“Like Anne said... you didn’t see us in the Shadowlands. If you had... you’re probably seek out a therapist for me.” He patted his sister’s shoulders. “Good luck.”

“What about Sophia?” Elenore questioned.

“Keep her here, for the time being.” Argrave closed his eyes. “The next time I see her, I want a proper conversation.”

“Anne?” Argrave questioned, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the rapidly-approaching red dot. It looked like a meteor, come to end them. “I’m wondering if we might consider getting the hell out of here.”

Anneliese watched the sky the same as he did—in rapt attention, in awe and fear. “I think... I think we’ll be fine.”

“You think?” He looked at her briefly, then looked back above. “You want to elucidate how exactly you came to that conclusion? Jaray?”

“You wanted to speak to a descendant of a lunar dragon,” Jaray explained. “It’s always much easier if you bypass all the proxies, however, and get straight to the source.”

The next moment, Argrave was certain they’d share the dinosaur’s fate, dying to a meteor suddenly and unexpectedly. A burst of fire cut through the atmosphere itself, and the moon was blocked out by a roaring inferno that sent every animal of the rainforest at the foot of the mountain screaming and hollering. Argrave was moments away from teleporting away when all of this meteor’s momentum ceased, and a great shockwave wracked the mountain.

Argrave saw, then, as classic a dragon as he had ever seen. Its red scales were the same hue as the moon above, and its eyes a white-gold that were an equal to the stars in the sky in brilliance. The creature seemed as large as Blackgard itself. Its wings could hide the sky, its clawed legs could rend the mountains, and its spiked hammer-like tail could shatter the continents. But it descended slowly, lowering itself without any physical movement as though its wings were just for show.

The moment its great legs seemed like to touch the ground, its entire body shifted, fading away like smoke in wake of a decidedly female figure. Though possessed of white, almost yellowish human skin, she bore a crimson robe of scales that Argrave suspected grew from her body. She had hair of the same color, long enough that Anneliese’s seemed short by comparison—those red locks had to stretch for many yards, just from first glance. Her eyes still shone like stars, retaining a hint of their reptilian nature. She stood at equal height to Argrave.

“I am not dramatic,” the lunar dragon protested at Jaray in irritation. Her voice was quite deep for a woman’s. “I’m simply efficient.”

“You’ll concede the insecurity, then.” He smiled at her.

“Arguing would only prove you right.” She looked at them. Her eyes did not move in a human fashion—they darted like a chameleon’s might, able to look different directions at the same time. “It’s strange to see you in person. I don’t really like it. It’s like reading a book and finding your name in it, or...” she sighed. “Well, we’re here.”

“Reading a book?” Anneliese repeated. “Then you...?”

“I’m aware of you. And I’m one of the lunar dragons you were looking for, yes.” She blinked—a translucent eyelid obscured her eyes for a moment, then retracted. Her appearance was remarkably human-like, yet the longer he scrutinized, the more he recognized things that were off—her tongue, for instance, was thin, long, and forked. “You might call me the first. It’s not entirely true, but I’m the first you might accurately add ‘lunar’ to.”

She walked closer in the following silence. Argrave caught sight of a long tail behind her, which moved forward with the sleekness of a snake. It coiled around her gracefully, then she laid down in front of them. She assumed a position rather like an empress decadently lounging atop pillows, with her own tail as the bed.

“Have a seat,” she said with a sigh. She turned her head. “Jaray,” she called out.

“Yes?”

Her next words defied expectations—not because of their meaning, but rather because Argrave could find no meaning in them. For the first time Argrave could ever recall since arriving here, he heard a different, unfamiliar tongue. It wasn’t arcane by any means, but there was no denying this lunar dragon spoke a different language.

Jaray nodded and began to walk away. She looked back. “Jaray will get you chairs, some food. He’s helpful like that.”

Argrave pushed past his surprise to ask the first question. “What’s your name?”

“Impossible to say, what with your facial structure,” she gestured vaguely. “Dragons have long snouts, different tongues, and numerous teeth—our words are simply different sounds entirely. I shan’t mock you by insisting you use it. Roughly translated, it means, ‘reflection of the suns upon a still lake.’ You could call me that, but I know it sounds off.” Her long claws stroked her sharp chin for a moment, then she raised a finger as if in epiphany. “When I was last in human form, I went by Lorena. It’ll suffice.”

“Alright, Lorena.” Argrave glanced at Anneliese, who was infinitely more fascinated than he was—and he was pretty damned intrigued. “Let’s talk.”