The Tragedy of The Fates

VALLEY OF BEAUTY

Kain had left the group at the dock and returned to Brathu's lair, and tomb. Ryan had been insistent to join him, so Kain helped Ryan with the aftershocks from Igneus shocking him. Kain brought the two of them there while the others went to their respective locations. Kain had entered the lair independently and removed his sword from the wyvern's neck. He looked towards his corpse.

The head was missing, and Kain quickly found it. He placed his head on his dead chest and burned the entire corpse. He quickly left the lair to find Ryan waiting for him, well and good. Kain said, "We'll get your dragons into The Valley of Beauty." Ryan provided a nod.

~~~~~

Once they had gotten to Ryan's cabin, the shocks on his nervous system were growing less in power and frequency. Ryan would make his way to his desk and pull out a leather-bound book. As he looked through it he said, "This is just a book of people I know. I'm going to be sending a few messages to Aiki to let them know I won't be reachable for a bit. Some are in the United Northern Division, so I won't be sending any letters there. The UND has the policy to kill all dragons on sight-" Kain let Ryan ramble on.

Once Ryan had all the letters written out he strapped them onto Aiki and the black dragon provided a nod before flying off, knowing where the houses were. Kain finally brought up the one question he had been dreading, "So, how are we getting 140-odd dragons to the Valley of Beauty?"

Ryan smiled, "We'll fly. Why, skittish of heights, Kain?"

Kain swallowed his fear, "Not a bit."

~~~~~

As it would turn out, Kain was extremely scared to fly on a dragon. The one they were flying on was a medium sized blue scaled fire dragon named Arius. He was plenty strong enough to fly them, but Kain was unnerved all the same. He held onto Ryan tightly, right across the gut, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. When Arius landed with the dragon cloud flying above them at the border of the Valley of Beauty, Kain was taken aback.

Standing before him was his very own brother, Nathan. His face was distorted in anger, and he had a sword strapped to him. A weapon. When Arius landed Kain dismounted at the border, and Nathan demanded, "What are you doing here, Kain?"

"Giving these dragons sanctuary, what else?" He paused before adding, "Not a pacifist anymore, huh?"

Nathan ignored his last comment and said, "Very well, but it'll cost you."

"Well," Ryan said, "I can pay you if that'll-"

"Shut up, elf." That was all Nathan said to Ryan before saying to Kain, "We duel. Regardless of who wins, your dragons get sanctuary for a year's time. However, if I win, your elf friend here stays. If you win, you can get the dragons back before or after the year's time."

Kain smiled, "Sounds like a plan to me."

Nathan sighed before saying, "Very well then, come on." With that, Nathan lead them through the Valley of Beauty.

~~~~~

Elizabeth paced in the room, ignoring the two elves trying to serve her something. She hated it here. Everyone's anger and pain rebounded right back at her, and making her feel the pain. She was a mage of emotions, able to manipulate and control them, and as she was experiencing right now, feeling the emotions of others.

Nathan had spent almost ten years practicing with swords, he had improved a lot, and from what she could tell, he was better than Kain now. Why did Nathan's pacifism change, but not his hatred of elves? As he grew in sword-wielding he used that skill to intimidate others to vote for elves to be segregated, imprisoned, and even enslaved.

He was so pompous, he challenged Kain, of all people why Kain? Kain wasn't the best person, sure, but Kain...

She stopped her thoughts, she killed Kain, which said enough. She had no room to judge. Another wave of anger poured on her, and she went to push it away, but it seemed, so, similar. She paused and left the room, ignoring the elves as she followed the anger.