AVDENTES FORTVNA IVVAT

[Pharaoh]

"Details about the Atraxian dragons were recorded in great detail, but the opposing dragons were only briefly met in a battle from which few returned. Most mortals were too busy fighting for their lives to even notice the horn had been purloined, let alone the colours of the enemy dragons hurling death on them from above."

"And after the battle, the dragons went into mourning... The bulk disappearing beyond the mountains and the Zalkyrians descended into the Thalamum Draconum, not returning to the surface for centuries as far as we know."

"Which is to say the only description of Melindranovion in our records, comes from a Vastian squire named Titus Ursinus Dirco who fancied himself a scribe. It took a great deal of forensic study to realise he was referring to Melinranovion at all, but eventually we were able to ascertain the truth of it."

"And he described the dragon as, simply: Brown."

"Did he mean Bronze? Brass? Rust?"

"Was the boy colour-blind? We have no way of knowing. He did say the dragon was smaller than its pursuer, which he identified as being Black. That doesn't speak to the age of the dragon, but it could offer clues if one were able to identify the actual Flight from whence it hailed."

Phocion rose from his seat with a sigh, and stalked over to the large window that had been at his back, to gaze out over the Umbrium.

"Oh yes, we have copious records from the Aværyan Imperial Era. The Founders were exacting rulers. There are maps on display in several museums, the Imperial Archives..."

"Any library would have copies of the maps, but yes the more detailed records would be at the Archivum Imperialis."

"We have those records here, as well." Phocion offered over his shoulder. "Sentinel Phalendyr, see to it." The assistant nodded and slipped back out of the office.

[Hilana Chenzira]

The girl continued to make her notes, and by now she was on a fresh page of the notebook with her shorthand chicken scratch. The map was left alone for the time being, and she nodded along at the explanations to her queries. She knew that trying to find information on Melindranovion may have seemed a strange and somewhat irrelevant thread to pursue, but if she wanted to make sure nothing the smaller dragon did could have impacted Israxa and her ability to travel, then it was a thread she had to see through. With the mention of three different dragon colours; those were familiar to her from her visits to the Museum Draconum. Still, she could go back and refresh her memory. The information was readily available; she did not want to irritate the sages by asking them to refresh her memory on their domains.

This was still a good clue, though, but it meant she was going to have to search around the colonies in that area and see if there were any records anywhere that may have survived the last few millennia since then if she wanted to pursue it. For now, she left it alone. She could work off of the information of colonies, settlements, any structures that could be found, and go from there. If none of those turned up information, then she would need to see what could be followed up on Melindranovion. Perhaps her quest for the Zalkyrian Horn would turn that up as well when she was at the exploratory stage of this mission when she ended up putting boots on the ground.

“When you say that the dragons went into mourning, is there some known reason why they would leave Solunarium to do so? Since they had the Thalamum Draconum?” Hilana was curious. “Was Arcas able to force those beyond the Zalkyrian Dynasty to abandon the Kingdom?” She had heard that theory floated by a Peregrinus more than once, when they had called Arcas the Prince of Dragons. But the Vastiana had no ability to confirm or deny it. Beyond that, it had been thousands of years. Why hadn’t any of them returned?

“Gratias,” Hilana said as Prince Phocion’s assistant was sent to get those records, going back to her own map for a moment. She started fleshing it out some more, adding a few approximate sites and landmarks just to help her ground the place in her head and with what she knew and remembered from her travels. They weren’t necessarily locations that would be of interest to the scholars, but they were guideposts for the nomad. Some part of her kicked herself for not going home for Asher’s cloth maps first; but on the other hand, if she didn’t know where she was going to have to look… there wasn’t much point in wasting the Prince’s time to go and get them.

[Pharaoh]

"Most of the dragons did not leave Solunarium." Sophos Subitus replied, knitting his brow as if perplexed by the assertion. "The city yes, but not the realm. They withdrew into the Zalkyrian mountains."

"What is not widely understood outside scholarly circles, Miss Chenzira," The Starborn Sophos Val'Etherys began, "Is that common themes exist between each of the major races represented here: Human, Elf and even Dragon. The original Vastians, like the Re'hyæans were a displaced people who sought refuge in a remote land. The Atraxian Dragons, too, are outsiders of a sort. That is why members of so many various flights offered their fealty to our Draconic Dynasty. They were united by common ideals. Beliefs that were closely enough aligned with those of Aværys that they gathered under His banner at the behest of their liege lord: Zalkyrion Rex Draconum."

"With all due respect, my esteemed colleague is speculating somewhat in her assertion, but I will concede that this is a widely held theory in Solunarian Academia. It does seem to hit all the right marks, but without being able to consult with actual dragons it remains unverified. It's so vexing to have such a font of knowledge so nearby. Five living dragons with long memories who could offer firsthand accounts of the most pivotal moments in our history, and yet they stand aloof."

"I would give a kidney to interview the youngest of them!" Subitus bemoaned as he stuffed a biscuit into his mouth.

"Don't be so hasty. I think you'll need it, if you keep eating like that." Sophos Len'Thædros chuckled, despite the death stare he elicited.

"Heresy!" Subitus nearly spit out his biscuit at Hilana's notion, "Arcas, blighted be his seed, could not force our dragons into exile!"

"What my blustering colleague is attempting to impart is this: If Arcas had the power to dismiss the Atraxian Dragons, why would he not have executed it before facing them in battle at the cost of thousands of his followers' lives? It makes no sense. I've honestly never heard that theory posed..."

The other two scholars shook their heads.

"Neither have I."

"Nor I. Where did you come up with such blasphemous bunk?"

"Ah." Phocion gestured toward the door for Phalendyr to approach, "The map."

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana was quiet when Sophos Subitus told her that they hadn’t left the kingdom, not entirely. They were in the Zalkyrian mountains. But yet, no one had ever found sign or tell of their presence. Maybe they were there, and nobody that had ever found them lived to tell it. She was the first human to enter the Thalamum Draconum and come back to tell it in this epoch, as per Princess Cithaera, and that got another note in the book, and a quick drawing on the girl’s map to indicate those mountains. That may also be another place for her to investigate… and at the very least… ask the Crownwyrm when she was ready to go back down. If they trusted they were still in the mountains, there was no evidence to prove or contradict it. By why, for thousands of years, did they not bother? Or maybe they had. Taken other forms and visited the city to check on the state of things.

The explanation that came from Sophos Val’Etherys and Sophos Len’Thaedros made an interesting connection. Hilana hadn’t considered that angle; but then again, she was not a scholar nor a student of history beyond the stories of her people and the kingdom that had been passed down to her. She chewed the inside of her bottom lip thoughtfully, nodding in acceptance of the theories presented to her. They all had questions, a source that had the answers, and no ability to go to that source and ask them. Hilana didn’t want to tell them about the visit that morning to the Crownwyrm, because that opened the door to questions that neither she nor Prince Phocion needed right then…

And then Sophos Subitus nearly lost his biscuit. Hilana realized that the old adage came true: her father used to say that there were rarely stupid questions, but if there were, she would find them and promptly ask them. And this was now one of them. “I’ve met my share of Peregrini in my time in Tertium,” the Vastiana offered by way of explanation, for the first time so far today a bit hesitantly. “One of them told me that Arcas was called the Prince of Dragons and that he had the power to command them. The Peregrinus theorized that when Zalkyrion Rex Draconum was slain, Arcas was able to scatter the remaining Atraxian dragons that were not of his line after the Battle of the Rending.” She was glad to hear that this was apparently not the case, because it did lend more support to the thinking that the Atraxian dragons were somewhere deep in the Zalkyrian mountains.

She had never been more thankful to see a map in her life. Now with that they had that map of the colonies, Hilana turned her notebook to the gathered Sages so that her own drawn map their continent, with present borders, could be compared to the the map of where the colonies had been. With luck, they could cross-reference that area of the rough location of where Melindranovion’s remains had been found, with the colonies that were around it. And it might give her a better idea of narrowing down the search area. “The reason I wondered about the colonies and the map was to see if Israxa might have settled in one of them with the Horn,” the girl explained her line of thought. “Granted, with how far they can travel and fly… might it stand to reason that she would have stayed nearby? There is no information on if she was injured in the last encounter with Melindranovion, which might have decreased a possible range…”

[Pharaoh]

Subitus seemed further appalled at how smoothly the name Arcas seemed to tumble from the tongue of his fellow Vastian, without so much as a curse to blight it after the utterance. This offended him, not only for its blasphemy, but for its incaution. In his generation a Vastian... particularly those not born into the Patrician class, such as Hilana and himself... it was anathema to be so blithe about sacred things. Particularly in the presence of Re'hyæans and a prince of the realm, no less! Vastians, to his mind, had to always prove themselves the most devout, because they had more to lose if they were deemed otherwise by such lofty figured.

"Peregrini!" The elder scholar scoffed, "From where? Surely you know they are all heathens!"

The others present seemed less concerned with Hilana's supposed blasphemy.

"He..." Sophos Len'Thædros elected not to utter the name lest he send Subitus into fits, "...may have been a prince of dragons, but to apply a definite article to the moniker is pretense. Before he was the Crownwyrm, His Exalted Majesty was a Crown Prince in his own right."

"Dragons are fiercely independent and not easily ruled. Their fealty is not offered blithely, and when it is- that is a very sacred covenant. We have no reason to believe based on any of our records that Accursed Arcas wields the power to dismiss it."

Seeing the map seemed to soothe Subitus' bile, and he smiled as it was laid across Phocion's desk.

"Was our imperium not grand? The glorious sun of Aværys never set upon our realms in those radiant days..."

The three sages considered Hilana's words.

"An interesting notion." Sophos Val'Etherys mused, "If not for the timing, I'd have said it was impossible for us not to have heard about something like that, but many of the colonies were feeding the war effort in Ailizane at that point. Some were almost completely depopulated."

"If I might make a suggestion." Phocion spoke up, "We could send a particularly adept Sembler out to the site of Melindranovion's death, they might be able to derive traces of what transpired. They could at least glean in what direction Israxa may have flown from there. It would just be a matter of getting a team into the Commonwealth."

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana was getting the distinct feeling that if they were anywhere else, Sophos Subitus would have told her to go and cut him a switch. She’d been threatened with that more than once by her family and while she had hated it, it was a short-term lesson that hadn’t always stuck compared to what the other options were. “That one in particular came from Cathena. While I know that they are ignorant, he considered himself quite learned. I hadn’t heard such before and I wasn’t sure if it was a possibility…” she was glad when they moved off of that subject; the girl was not eager to mention their ancient enemy again lest she speak too flippantly for her elder’s tastes.

And there was still the fact that he was somehow going to be involved with the Crownwyrm and Founders knew who else. She did not want to be responsible for Sophos Subitus having a heart attack right there in Prince Phocion’s office.

She was an attentive listener as the scholars spoke on the dragons and the very foundations of trust and loyalty. She was certainly glad to know that the Peregrinus’ theory was soundly wrong; the girl trusted the knowledge of those in their black robes. They had spent a great deal of their lives researching and learning, and it was a fascinating subject to her. She wanted the dragons to return, and she had a great deal of learning to do on the matter. That much was painfully obvious, but Hilana was there to start.

She was in complete agreement that their empire had been substantial. There was no doubt about that; the great swaths of territory were awesome in scope and breadth. As they looked over the map, Hilana’s eyes were going between them as they considered the potential of her working theory. “Some of the colonies may have been almost depopulated by that stage, but it was suggested to me that the Horn may have been in a mausoleum in a place never breached by humans; hence the query regarded the censuses of those colonies,” the girl explained. “Logic dictates that there was a population there at some point; and while I’d rather find Israxa with it alive and well… she may have stashed it for the time being, too.” The colonies of the continent were marked and located on the map in her notebook, though which ones would be worth looking into…

At Prince Phocion’s suggestion, Hilana looked back at him, brightening. “That could be done, surely? The estimated site where Melindranovion fell isn’t too far within the Commonwealth’s borders. A Wyvern, a Sembler, and maybe a Masquer to convince anything watching that we are not there…” With all of that, plus her Mask of Midnight’s Mother, then they could at least get a sense of direction and then apply it to the map to help narrow things down.

[Pharaoh]

"Well, make sure you leave the name of the heathen with Sentinel Phocion, so the Vigilia can keep an eye on him lest he manipulate the simple minded toward similar blasphemies!" Subitus bade, before letting the matter drop in favour of more pertinent concerns. Besides, his delight at regarding the map of the ancient Solunarian Empire quickly assuaged his umbrage.

"Suggested by whom?" Len'Thrædos wondered aloud, knitting his brow.

"Well, even if Israxa's fleshly form as it was known has deceased, she is a dragon and a black one at that. Death is not so finite an ending for such lofty creatures." Val'Etherys posited.

"At least a Master of Semblance would be required. Perhaps even a Grandmaster, but I can consult the High Sentinel on the matter to glean a clearer picture." Phocion spoke of his own mother as if she bore no relation to him aside from his supervisor within the order. "I'm certain we can spare the other resources you request, though I might note that your recent gift might better serve the subterfuge than a practiser of Masquerade. The mages of the Commonwealth are not to be underestimated merely because of their unprepossessing features. There is potent magic amongst the Orcani."

Subitus sputtered at the mere mentioned of their hideous neighbours to the west.

"Ghastly things, the Orcani." He blustered, shaking his head as he wrinkled his nose in revulsion. He even withdrew the hand that had been reaching for another pastry from the tray. Apparently that was what it took to quiet the call of his formidable appetite.

"Have you any further questions for our guests at the moment, Miss Chenzira, or shall I dismiss them? If you would like to move forward with my suggestion, we can begin to make plans straight away or wait until you've composed more of your thoughts." Phocion offered.

[Hilana Chenzira]

When Sophos Len’Thaedros asked who could have suggested such a thing, Hilana figured they didn’t entirely need to know just who she had been talking to in the last two days. It would get attention and if she couldn’t bring a bison to the Zalkyrian Dynasty because of the risk of attention, it wouldn’t be smart to prompt it here. People talked; and there was already the risk of that happening when they left here. The Zalkyrian Horn would surely be a provocative subject. Prince Phocion was a living embodiment of the practical advice of “say nothing”, and the girl figured it was best to emulate him. His ability to just not answer something was aspirational… especially considering her own habits towards the opposite. “The one who asked me to locate the Horn,” was what she supplied in a cheerful answer. Best to say one, rather than indicate multiple, lest the learned elders connected things. Perhaps they already had and had been hoping for confirmation.

If death wasn’t so finite an ending for Dragons, perhaps there was a chance that Zalkyrion and Shaqqarava might return one day, too. That was a delightful possibility. Granted, they were not Black Dragons, but who was to say such things were impossible, especially should the Horn be returned? Granted, they had seen Zalkyrion’s skeleton at Kaladon, but Hilana was not sure where his mate had fallen.

“That would work better, you are right,” Hilana nodded in agreement. Perhaps it would be better that it was just herself, another, and the Wyvern. Less people to cover, and it would give her another chance of experimenting with the Mask of Midnight’s Mother. She could only hope they wouldn’t run into the Orcani, but she wasn’t counting them out. Expect the worst, hope for the best. “They are, aren’t they? Monsters, the lot of them.” She was in complete agreement with Sophos Subitus, so perhaps not all was lost with the Vastiana. Had they had more time, Hilana could have told him how they had come to blows with a pack or dreaded Orcani at the Frost Festival six years prior, but now was not the time.

She considered the Prince’s offer, looking at her map and her notes, and then at the map of the colonies before her upon his desk. “I think that this will do to get me started, and that we had best move forward on locating and visiting the site to see what can be discovered there,” Hilana decided. “I thank you for your time and your contributions, this has been incredibly insightful and helpful., and I have learned a great deal,” she bowed her head with respect and appreciation to the sages. “With luck we will have more direction to work off of when I return.”

[Pharaoh]

Phocion tilted his head and arched a brow at Hilana's response to Sophos Subitus' pointed question, but his lips remained tightly pursed. The Sophī didn't press the matter either, allowing the exchange between Phocion and Hilana to elide into their dismissal.

"We thank you for your wisdom, sapientes scholarium." The Sentinel offered, rising from his seat and gesturing toward the door with a nod. Phalendyr moved to open it, as the sages rose.

"I wish you good fortune on your quest for knowledge, Miss Chenzira." The stunning Starborn lady inclined her head in an approximation of a salutatory bow, winking one of her violet eyes. "If you have need of my input, you'll find my offices at the Luxian campus of the Academia Arcanum."

"A pleasure to meet you, miss." The handsome half-elf cast her a dashing smile, "If you have need of me, I can be located at the Temple of Midnight's Mother."

"And I'm at the Museum Sacrum." Subitus grumbled, grabbing a handful of biscuits on his way to the door, "Keep your nose clean, girl." He bade, before sweeping out behind the loftier pair. Phalendyr followed them out, shutting the door behind him and, just like that, Phocion and Hilana were left alone.

"Well. It's been quite an eventful few days, hasn't it?" The prince remained standing, placing his hands on the back of his chair. "I would suggest you take the time to do some research on your own to prepare for this first leg of your journey. You'll need to assemble a team and, with Her Divine Radiance's centennial jubilee just round the corner, I expect you'll be better off waiting a few weeks. If you'd like to avail yourself of any training, just let me know the areas of focus and I can see you assigned to classes or tutors. Just leave a list with Sentinel Phalendyr."

[Hilana Chenzira]

She smiled at each of the sages as they left, and once they were gone, Hilana made a note inside of her notebook of where to find each of them. She knew the best rule of thumb was to write down as little as possible for something like this, but the Vastiana didn’t want to make the mistake of forgetting something crucial and regretting it later. She was not keen to waste everyone’s time and resources only for her to overrun the trail and miss a mark she should have caught. Every tidbit of information counted, it was just a matter of organizing it and making it fit into the proper order so that the clues and findings made sense. She wanted this to be successful. She needed it to be. They’d entrusted the quest to her, and she had sworn on her life that she would be successful. That wasn’t a promise that Hilana had made lightly.

Hilana listened to the prince, nodding. It had been an eventful few days, that was undeniable. And all in all, they were frankly shocking, if she allowed herself to sit and think about it. Big changes, big events that she was unprepared for and she had a feeling that she seemed woefully inadequate when it came to what she had been tasked with. But she was determined, and the girl was stubborn enough. The Founders felt she could do it, and if they did, then she could. It was just going to take work, and the Vastiana was no stranger to that. “I think it would probably be wise to have some sessions with an Elementalism tutor,” the girl answered. “I did have plans for one, but our schedules have not managed to link quite yet, and while we will likely wait to proceed until after the Jubilee... it cannot hurt to get started, and I’ve always had success from learning from different tutors with different styles. I'd like to get my hands on a map of Ecith, if only so I can study that too and prepare for the trip." She hesitated, knowing that this last remark was bold indeed. "And... if it is at all possible at some point... I would like to be able to talk with the High Sentinel regarding the Mask of Midnight’s Mother. The more prepared I am, the better my chances.”

Now that she was done with her writing and her notes, having made what she could, Hilana knew she was going to have a pastry. Or four. Sophos Subitus had had the right idea, because they looked good and while she had had her candied almonds, she could certainly stand to eat something else. And that sticky piece of deliciousness was calling her name. “Do you think Arvaelyn will be alright?” she knew that that was a long shot in the dark; and that chances were she wouldn’t be able to glean anything from the taciturn Royal, but he was her friend, and while she had to trust that under the care of the Dynasty, Arvaelyn was strong enough to get through what was afflicting him. But Prince Phocion also knew more than she did on the subject.