Zephyr: The Elemental Clans

172 - On Their Tracks

Dagan Zephyr - POV;

I sat at the edge of town against the old walls of the wooden barn, soaking in the warm rays of the morning sun. The gentle hiss of the dawn-ushering breeze as it snaked through the leaves of the thick boughs of the sturdy trees added wonders to the tranquil ambience exuded by this humble village. With their worries over, they returned to their simple, peaceful lives and we of Zephyr, whom abandoned the riches and status of our homes, were glad to join them in their ecstasy.

I glanced at the image held firmly between my fingers, which depicted a joyous couple with their two mischievous brats. I warm smile crept up on my face as I recalled the pure interactions those two siblings would always share in their youth. As much as we would harass each other back then, our attachment to each other was undoubtably inseparable. At what point did Jacqueline and I grow apart? I knew it had to be then, when I'd split our family apart and made it a point to restrict her freedom in the name of protecting her. I'd gone too far. I really had... but seeing where giving her freedom had gotten her, I wondered if it really was such a bad thing to hide her away from the world.

"Jacqy.... wherever you are.... please be safe," I muttered as I closed my eyes tightly and pressed the image to my chest.

"It will be okay, Dagan," Alva assured me as she appeared beside me, having just returned the horses to their stables, "It always ends up fine at the end of it all, doesn't it? We were kidnapped and threatened but we managed to return home. We never thought that would happen but it did. Xyder was facing execution by order of the World Heirarchy. Something like that had never been overturned.... and yet Xyder managed it. Things worked themselves out again. Maybe it's wishful and maybe egotistical of me to say this but I think there's something special about us and Zephyr. For some reason we just have a natural luck around us that enables us to reach great conclusions. Maybe its fate. Maybe we have some greater purpose?"

"You're right," I answered, without turning to her.

"See? Doesn't it feel good to believe in a better future?" she grinned.

"You seem to have the wrong idea. Let me clarify: You're right in saying that you are just entertaining wishful thoughts," I stated bluntly.

"Wha-" she blurted out in shock, pausing for a moment, "Dagan.... you can't really mean that."

"And you can't honestly believe everything you're saying. It's true. Things have seemed to work out for us every time till now... but if you really think about it, every single time it worked out for us... things fell apart for someone else. Xyder got out with the efforts of the Ailani's... but they wouldn't have aided us if they hadn't watched their entire home be ravished and their mother mauled. Sure, we got you all back... but at the cost of how many lives? Did you know? Even though Lord Seraphim and Lady Catharine were always involved in the search for Blaze... the one who truly headed the operation was Incendio Zephyr. He was killed for getting too close to the truth of Blaze's schemes... Don't even make me mention Regulus Astra, Regulus Damon and their daughters. Without their efforts, we'd have never gotten close to saving you guys. Rather, we'd have died in Blaze's trap. Things worked out for us; we're all alive... but things did not work out for any of them. Who is to say that this time we won't finally see the day that someone else like Blaze has things work out for them at the cost of our peril?"

Alva lowered her eyes, clearly considering what I'd told her and struggling to find a comeback.

"Ring! Ring! Ring!" my cellphone blared suddenly.

"Hello?" I answered it with a sigh.

"Dagan? It's Naomi. We have something for you. We may know where he is."