"When did you learn to protect me?" Espin said in a scolding tone. "You could have told me when you kissed me and sent the thing in me, or I wouldn't have let you fall to your death! Why did you even wait so long to call me? I was looking for you, bastard."

Jack stuck out his tongue and winked. "But I would have still kissed you, pretty thing."

"You are impossible." Espin groaned and pushed him away. Jack tried his dragon fairy wings. They were not the slick, leather wings he had been expecting, completely twinning with Espin.

I knew it would work. He smirked at his clever trick. Maybe he didn't really use the art of deception or his usual bag of tricks, but it sure convinced the Enchantress that he was a lost cause. Espin successfully rendered powerless long enough for Jack to hear all that he wanted to hear from her and for the Enchantress to think that she had won. All to let her guard down.

"Unbelievable." Espin shook his head. 

They reached Ragegon in no time as the Enchantress was going about her winning theatrics and too distracted to notice what they were doing. Jack landed upon the dragon's neck and walked toward the Enchantress. She had her back turned.

"...and you will all bow down to me! For I am your Queen! Queen Serena Mary Plantagenet!" She tipped her head back to give a good cackle. Jack formed a sword made of magick and ran. Her smile froze as she bent backwards. Turning around, she opened her mouth to speak, but he was there. Up close and personal, and above her head.

"You lose," he said and decapitated her. He flew back as black mist burst from her body and the head rolled onto Ragegon. 

The heat in the air cooled. Dragons turned to their normal colors and began to fall away. Ragegon made his way toward the castle, slithering through the sky, lower and lower. Jack formed ropes in his hand and looped them around the giant dragon's neck.

Espin called to the freed dragons, and they turned into their winged-human forms to save the humans that were turning back and falling. 

Jack pulled on Ragegon as its big body crashed through buildings and ruins. Lower and lower, the dragon was breaking apart, shrieking as it went. Dust and debris clouded around them.

Come on, whoa! Jack gritted his teeth and pulled until the ropes hurt in his palms. Come on!

More dragons broke away until all that was left was the head. The throat glowed. Somehow Ragegon was still alive enough to ready to use the white flame. Then the horns broke away and inside, the brain was Margorie, spreading her arms open wide and sending trails of orange light into the dragon's neck.

Death be upon you, smartbuggle, he thought and formed a fireball in his hand and hurled it at her. She burned up, shrieking as she died. 

The glow faded and the dragon came to a sliding stop right before the fallen castle. Jack jumped down to find Jett Dragon near Eli Dragon, holding each other as if in sorrowful embrace, both with eyes closed. Eli turned to human slowly, but Jett remained the same. One was fine, but Jack was too late for the other.

"I'm sorry," he said to Jett who opened his eyes.

"Jack, you came for us." Then he turned human.

"Wait, you're okay?" Jack bent down as Eli began to wake. She looked up at him and smiled.

"I was too long gone," Jett began, "and I've been infused with a dead dragon's soul. I've accepted this fate."

"About time you came for me, prince," Eli whispered, "I feel so tired."

Jack pushed her hair out of her face and smirked. "I got your message."

She blushed. "Oh, that. I thought I could do more fighting."

"I'd be up for a duel with you," he said with a grin.

"Sire?"

Jack looked up at an elderly man in royal clothing. Behind him was a crowd of soldiers, old and young, and many, many people he recognized and didn't, gathering around them. Some of the people were helping the dragons, tending to their wounds. Dragons were helping people tend to theirs. Some dragons turned to human and shook hands with humans. They were talking, getting to know each other.

Connection. A bond. Once beautiful Dragon's Wood. Together with humans. Jack pondered a moment and glanced at Espin. The dragon fairy came to stand beside him as Jack rose to his feet.

The elderly man reached a trembling hand and touched Jack's cheek. "It is you. Jack Plantagenet. I recognize those eyes anywhere. I witnessed your birth."

"The prince? He's been alive this whole time?" People began to murmur around them. "But what of the king?"

"The king is dead," Jack said, and the crowd silenced, "and I may have been born as Jack Plantagenet, but such a tainted name I carry with me no more." He let his wings fade and changed his clothes to royal garb, letting an indigo waist coat with gold lining strap across his chest and embroidering it with a sigil of a dragon. 

"I am Jack Ovaultrades, King of Endil, reclaiming the throne that was to be mine." He climbed up on a pile of rock that used to be part of the castle. 

He knew he could explain to the people who he was and what he had been doing all this time. But Jack was never one to live in the past. The disheveled people, many who had lost loved ones, they didn't want to be burdened with all that. Maybe one day he would explain all the complications, but what they needed now was a leader.

And I was born to lead, wasn't I? He smirked and took a deep breath, preparing for the most princely speech he would ever give. This was not going to be like the first one where he stumbled through his words without thinking about their meaning. These would be words he meant sincerely. 

Looking upon his to-be subjects, he closed his eyes for a moment and imagined all their hardships, their burdens, and the pain they went through. His father would steal their land, their crops, and ruin entire families. Jack took their burden and opened his eyes.

"King Anthony Plantagenet was my father, but not one I agreed with. He stole your land!" Jack yelled and the people nodded their heads. "He tore apart families and killed your loved ones! Do you stand by him? Do you forgive his deeds?"

"No, never!" some people in the crowd said and others murmured in agreement.

"You have been hurt over and over. He has betrayed you!" Jack snarled. "I will not be my father. I will return your land. I will carry the burdens of your losses. I will return the smiles to your households and listen to your needs."

He paused as Espin joined him on the rock.

"And I will listen to the needs of the dragons. Magick is among us, my people of Endil. It is a part of us and as much as we need dragons, they need us." He lay a hand on Espin's shoulder. "The magick of a dragon is something special. Brings fertility to the land, not destruction."

He turned back to the people. "Endil and Dragon's Wood, if you stand by me, I will bring prosperity to both. There is nothing to fear, people of Endil. I promise you all, under my rule, Endil and Dragon's Wood, both will flourish."

The last two ancients came slithering forward in the sky and bowed their heads to Jack.

Imagine that, hailed by dragons, he thought with a smirk. Below, the humans one by one took a knee to bow their heads. Jack kept his head raised and created a perfect silver and purple crown atop his head. The silence didn't last long as a cheer started from the back.

"Long live King Ovaultrades!" Gray called out with the Lormink around his neck.

"Long live King Ovaultrades!" the crowd called out, raising their fists to the air. Jack couldn't help it. He let out a chuckle and raised his fist, hailing himself when Espin nudged him in the ribs.

"Jack, you're a king now. You have to be humble," he whispered.

"Sure, sure, I'll eat some humble pie," he said and then he found Eli's gaze and noticed Jett slipping his hand into hers, but she pulled away. Her gaze was meant for one man and Jack knew who that was, but he found inside of him, a sweet something in his chest when Espin strengthened the grip on his shoulder. He laughed under the quizzical gaze of the dragon fairy.