It was daytime atop the Ruthless, and they were up and sailing again.
Villads: Ah yes, the smell of land...
Ezran: Woohoo!
Rayla: Oh, sweet land!
Linopha: Finally.
Berto: Let him finish!
Villads: The faint, distant smell of land, that is. I'd say about a full day of sailing ahead before we reach the shore.
Rayla dropped down on the ground. She was clutching her stomach again, clearly seasick.
Ezran and Zym decided to count clouds.
Linopha went below deck and sat on the bed.
Not too long later, she heard a door slam, and Callum came walking down the stairs again.
Linopha: Hi.
Callum: Hi.
Linopha: Not much to do on this boat.
Callum: Yeah.
Callum reached into his bag and grabbed a letter with a red wax seal.
Linopha recognized it immediately. It was Callum's letter from his stepfather.
Linopha: Are you going to open it?
Callum: I don't know.
They heard someone else coming downstairs.
Soon, Bait emerged from the stairway.
Linopha: Hi, Bait! We could use a light down here!
Bait hopped up onto the bed beside them.
Callum: I've had this letter for a few days now, but I can't bring myself to open it. I know it sounds crazy, but it's like right now there are words he hasn't said to me, and they're all right here. But once I read it, then he'll really be gone. Forever.
Linopha put her hand on Callum's shoulder, and gave him a sympathetic look.
As Linopha read it over Callum's shoulder, she heard his stepfather's voice in her head.
Harrow explained that he was going to share a lie, a wish and a secret.
The lie was the greatest lie of history, the wish was for Callum and Ezran to be free, but none of us surprised Linopha.
Until they arrived at the secret. Linopha read it over.
And finally, you must be wondering about the secret. Well, good news- the secret is hidden in the banther lodge, where you are right now! How's that for planning?
Linopha laughed.
Callum: Right. We're supposed to be at the banther lodge.
But then, as they kept reading, Linopha realized that they had the secret.
Right now, go upstairs to the game room. There I've hidden an unusual cube with rune symbols on each side.
Linopha looked over at the bedside table, where the cube was.
She picked it up and showed it to Callum.
Linopha: This caught my eye earlier. It felt familiar somehow.
They kept reading the letter.
This cube is an ancient relic that has been passed down through the ages. It belonged to one of the great ones, a master of all six primal sources, the elven archmage Aaravos. It's hidden in a box of keys because it is known as the "Key Of Aaravos", and legends say it unlocks something of great power in Xadia.
Linopha: Take that, Rayla!
Callum: I knew it was important!
Linopha: Aaravos is an interesting name, that's for sure.
Linopha glanced back at the letter, and noticed something odd. There were ink spots on the passage about the key.
The elven archmage (ink spot). The Key Of (ink spot).
Linopha: Everywhere that said "Aaravos" is now blacked out. How did that happen?
Callum: I must've smudged the letter somehow.
There was one more thing written underneath.
P. S. One last extra-super-secret bonus secret. Did you know that Bait- our most sour friend- secretly loves belly rubs?
Linopha: Yeah, I figured that out a long time ago.
Callum picked up Bait and went above deck. Linopha followed.
Villads: We're close! I smell land!
Linopha could see the shore and mountains in the distance.
They soon arrived at the other side of the bay, and found a cave in one of the mountains to stay for the night.
Linopha walked out of the cave and found Callum playing with the Key Of Aaravos.
Callum: The letter said it was a key, but a key to what?
Callum rolled the cube a few more times, and Linopha noticed something.
Linopha: The marks it leaves in the dirt are all pointing in the exact same direction.
Callum: I could be accidentally creating the pattern by rolling it the same way, but it might actually mean something!
Linopha: You're still trying to figure out primal magic?
Callum: Yeah. There's so much swirling around in my head. I just need a way to bring it all together. It's not happening, but I have to be a mage again. Things will only get tougher once we get into Xadia.
Rayla walked out of the cave to join them.
Callum: And crossing the border is going to be crazy dangerous.
Rayla: Well, maybe not.
Callum: There's a river of lava! One does not simply walk into Xadia.
Rayla: Actually, one does simply walk into Xadia. There's a secret path- the moonstone path. It'll be safe and easy, magic or no magic. Just stop worrying.
Rayla went back into the cave.
Linopha: I'm sure you'll get it when the time is right. Now come on, let's get some rest.
Callum: Yeah, you're right.
They walked back to the cave together.
YOU ARE READING
The Dragon Prince storyline altered
FanfictionThis fanfiction mostly follows the basic storyline of TDP, but I've added a few characters. The characters that I've added gradually change the plot, to the point that I'm writing entire chapters that weren't in the original show. I do not own any o...
