Traitor to the Crown

Chapter 17

"I j...just c...can't live with myself anymore!" Leif cried into her brother's shoulder.

Hadrix sighed and said, "You've lived with yourself for this long, so why not try a little longer."

"It f...feels so h..hopeless!" Leif sobbed. Hadrix looked down into his sister's icy blue eyes and replied, "If you did nothing about it, I'm sure it's hopeless. But you've already done quite a lot, and while you haven't gotten results yet, you can't give up until you know it's over."

Leif sniffled, staring down at the floor as she pulled back from the hug. "Y..you're right. It isn't over yet. And I can send some of the wyverns out to search while my wing heals."

"I told you so." Hadrix said with a smug grin.

Leif smiled softly at him before turning and walking towards the palace infirmary. "I'm going to have Miraj take a look at my wing, and hopefully there's something that will heal it faster. Lyrica is going to pay for everything she's done to me!"

Hadrix shrugged as he watched her go, before he looked over at Vaskin and asked, "You want to search for your girl while she's getting her wing patched up?"

"Of course!" Vaskin replied, jumping to his feet and climbing onto the crimson dragon's back. "I last saw her in the mountains, so we should check around there. Maybe there's a chance that Khashmyr was right. Either way..."

Hadrix nodded, bolting through the palace gates and shooting into the sky.

After hours of searching the mountains, Hadrix was growing tired and hungry.

"How about we stop through Ignis Sol and grab something to eat. I've heard they make some pretty good fried fish, and I've been wanting a reason to check it out for ages. It'll be no good searching any more with my stomach this empty." Hadrix said, as he gazed longingly at the city below that bordered the Silver Sea.

Vaskin sighed heavily and said, "I suppose it won't do us any harm, but I hope that Manx stays safe, wherever she is."

"Nah, she's pretty fierce, that one. She'll do alright." Hadrix replied, swooping in for a landing.

Vaskin looked down at the approaching city and asked, "Do ya' think that maybe, just maybe, she might be hiding out in the city?"

"I wouldn't count on it, but it's possible. Then again, can't she teleport to practically anywhere?" Hadrix replied as he landed effortlessly with a soft 'Thwumph'.

"I guess so, but it seems she has to have been to that place or heard of it before, or have some sort of emotional connection. We never really talked about it much, seein' as she's a bit sensitive about her ability." Vaskin said, gazing around at the wide array of shops and buildings that littered the city.

"Oh hey, didn't you say once that you grew up around here?" Hadrix asked.

"I lived a bit more on the very outskirts, but yeah, kinda'." Vaskin said, shuddering at the memories that once again invaded his mind.

Hadrix nodded as they walked the city's cobblestone streets. Vaskin dismounted and walked alongside Hadrix, trying to avoid looking at the posters that covered every inch of the city. Hadrix lifted his nose to the air and took in a deep breath, following the scent of something which he thought smelled delicious.

"You wanna' try something?" Hadrix asked, as he stood outside a butcher's shop and stared longingly at the racks of raw meat dangling from the ceiling inside. "One of the perks of having the Empress as your sister is you get an almost unlimited allowance of Draquens, so we can get whatever we want."