Azure Star saw the future, and what she saw left her speechless. A battle was starting, Myrkr, Sanguine, and a few other Mythics fighting the forces of the Mion Jungle. No, no, no! A giant dust cloud surrounded the fight, and Azure Star knew that was all she could see. I do not believe this. She stood up and stretched her wings, walked over to the exit of her crystalized home, and launched herself out with her wings outstretched. She glided in a spiral down to the ground, then hurried into the High Arch.

     When she entered, she noticed Dark Wings sleeping in a corner. Azure Star padded over and nudged the dark dragon. "Arch-Dragon," she said into the silence, her voice urgent. Dark Wings didn't stir. "Arch-Dragon!"

     With a startling growl, Dark Wings opened his yellow eyes suddenly, and glared into the darkness. Azure Star was surprised not only by his growl, but by the fact that his eyes glowed in the dark almost as if they were two small, weak suns. Once his black pupils focused on the Eltí, his eyes widened in surprise and is growl trailed into silence. "Azure Star? What is it?" Aiming his head upward, he spit small bursts of almost-black purple flames at the chandelier. Even though it was made of wood, Storm's Wing had protected it with a fire-proof enchantment, so the purple flames lit up the candles instead.

"It is Myrkr and Sanguine, and Tahl'drí. I had a vision. They will be in trouble soon."

At this news, Dark Wings eyes went alert. "The Mion queen? 'Bad things for your home will happen', she had said. Is this the misfortune?" He started pacing. "Is there anything we can do, that you forsaw?"

Azure Star sadly shook her head. "Not to change what they do. However, maybe this is the path the kits and dragonets will be to follow."

The Arch-Dragon stopped pacing midstep, his head turned to the psychic. "One of those dragonet's is my daughter, Azure Star." His growl was as menacing as before. "If you think I will let you send all six of the ones who will save us from my brother, you are greatly mistaken." He sat and faced her.

"You misunderstood my intent, Arch-Dragon. I wish to have them help with the future danger, yes, but they are too young. Myrkr was...more experienced. It will not be for a while longer. The six will have time to learn and grow."

"What do you mean, "Myrkr was more experienced? She knows much of the fighting techniques and stances already. What else can she gain experience in that will help in the fight?"

Looking around and casting out her senses for any other presence, she said in a low voice, "You know what I mean. Ysamaldrí's gift."

✦ ✦ ❦ ✦ ✦
(Thirteen years in the past...)

Azure Star heard the call from Ysamaldrí as she flew toward it. It was the third one, and by far the loudest. She wanted nothing more than to turn tail and return to the Revak Feykro, but something felt wrong. More than that, something felt dangerously familiar. He should be dead! I was the one to do it, I should know! Worry crept its way into Azure Star as she made her way closer to the source of the terrible call and her unease.

     Behind her, Dark Wings rushed after her, his wings making a quiet thrum each time his wings moved. He hadn't asked what had influenced her to flee his Isle to a strange jungle Isle, but Azure Star was sure she would have to reveal her secret to Dark Wings. Well, I revealed it to Storm's Wing, now to reveal it to the next Arch-Dragon. The call came again, and even in the thick jungle of trees the sound was not deterred.

     Finally, Azure Star caught sight of pale yellow-gold scales with black markings. She willed her wings to move faster when she noticed a small creature was with the pale dragoness. Dark Wings also saw the dragoness, and gasped. His wingbeats faltered for half a heartbeat, but he kept pace with Azure Star.

     "Azure," the dragoness said, her voice calm. Her pale golden eyes glanced at Dark Wings and then back to the creature she was with. "This one needs help, and caring for."

     Azure Star nodded back in greeting, panting. Dark Wings was also out of breath, but since he was an Isle leader, he had to be more presentable. Little does he know that in this situation, I must be more important than he. "Goddess, I heard your call. Where, are," she hesitated, "the others? Did no Mythic other than I hear your call?"

"There were none who could answer." Ysamaldrí glanced at Dark Wings again. "And it seems they were all lucky, since you were followed by a dragon. Dark Wings of Revak Feykro, I greet you."

Dark Wings bowed to the smaller dragon. "What is so important that I should not know?" he asked, far from rudely.

The pale dragoness gave a smirk. "You have not told him of your spiritual race, Azure? These games are to my liking." The smirk vanished, and Ysamaldrí faced the small creature. Azure Star recognized the creature as a young girl, about two years old at most, and also as a Cí'mehia. "This cub needs protecting. She almost died, and Fate would not let me stand by without trying to save her. Azure," the goddess faced the cat who had landed and padded closer to the Cí'mehia cub, "I gave her one half of my blessing. I assume you can sense it." When Azure Star nodded, Ysamaldrí continued. "Because the one who held this blessing before is dead, thanks to Azure's help at my request, this young one holds one half of it. Others will not understand what power she holds, if they can sense it like yourself, and later in life when Fate deems it necessary to give her the other half, I will. I will also send her to you, Azure, in the Immortal Land to explain to her this blessing.
"Dark Wings, you no doubt know nothing of which I have said. Azure will provide adequate information and explanations about what she is, and what this cub will be.
"From the cub's mind, I've acquired her name and surname: Myrkr Mkhoal. Her race and powers are known to you, Azure, so I leave her in your care. You will both be rewarded for coming to this call, even though you could not hear it, Dark Wings. Soon—Time is a relatively, since I am immortal—" Ysamaldrí chuckled at this, "soon your wife will bear an egg of rare occurance." Dark Wings' eyes widened at this. "Azure, you are rewarded with an apprentice. May your Isle never sink, but prosper, Dark Wings. And my your Gemstone always shine, Azure."

The goddess stretched out her wings, showing the treble clef arrow marks she had on her body, identical to the one on the underside of Azure Star's left wing. With one loud flap, Ysamaldrí lifted off and flew away, leaving the duo with the cub, Myrkr. She had cheetah ears, feline emerald eyes, a tail, and small fangs.

"Azure Star, what is the meaning of this?" Dark Wings faced his advisor, his yellow eyes scorching.

Ignoring Dark Wings for a few moments, the Mythic cat let her senses tell her Myrkr's condition. When she found out the cub was okay, she turned to answer the dark dragon. "It is my secret, Arch-Dragon. I shared it with your father before you, but he respected my wish to have it not known. I hope you will allow it to remain secret, but that is of little importance now. We need to take this cub back to the Revak Feykro before any of this Isle's habitants find us and—"

With a growl, Dark Wings silenced her. "I heard enough. You will tell me when we get back, after we figure out how to raise this humanoid breed of Mythic."

"Yes, Arch-Dragon."

     When they reached the Revak Feykro, Azure Star led the Cí'mehia cub to the only humanoid family that lived in the forest, the Crím family. They had a son, a ruby dragon, who they brought with them as an egg from their home. With the mother, Rose Scale, Azure Star left Myrkr. She then left to meet with the Arch-Dragon in his home.

     Dark Wings was pacing when Azure Star entered. Rainlight was with him, and she left when she saw her husband's advisor. When a few moments of silence persisted, the dark dragon said, "What is this secret that none would know, Azure Star? What did Ysamaldrí mean, her blessing; all of it! I want to know all of it! You, as my advisor and psychic, have no right to keep this from me!"

      "Arch-Dragon," Azure Star said, calmly. "What you wish to know is safer kept a secret. I understand your anger. With this cub, I will be unable to keep this secret mine in this forest without help. You must help me keep my secret, and eventually, Myrkr's, from even your wife, until the time is right to reveal it." A growl came from Dark Wings, but he didn't refuse. "I am the current Crystal of Ysamaldrí, one of her Gemstones." Azure Star lifted her left wing, revealing the Mark of Ysamaldrí that was on the underside. No fur grew there, and the black mark contrasted to the periwinkle fur. "Myrkr is on her way to becoming the current Emerald of Ysamaldrí. She has no Mark, but she now has magic that no other of her kind holds at this moment. Once Ysamaldrí deems it necessary to give her the rest of the blessing, I will train her in the Gemstone Arts."

     Dark Wings was silent for a few heartbeats. "And who was it that Ysamaldrí had you kill? Was he the previous Emerald?"

     "He was." Azure Star looked away and lowered her wing. "I did not want to kill him, but that is the only way for Ysamaldrí to retrieve her Gemstones from within us. The other way is to strip them of their identities and leave them living."

      "There seems to be more to it than that," the dark dragon rumbled. "I saw your face as we raced to Ysamaldrí. Something unnerved you."

      The unspoken question was obvious. With a sigh, Azure Star fixed her emerald gaze on Dark Wings' scorching yellow one. "The Emerald's name was Evjit Mkhoal, Dark Wings." She glanced at the High Arch, and sensed there was no one near. "Myrkr's father."

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Yes! Not the speed I wanted this chapter to go in, but I will finish in the present next time, not the past. I think. I had hoped to go farther, naming this, "The Magic Begins," but I guess I will continue in the next chapter! As always, I want to know what you guy think, and what will happen! I leave you with these questions:

Will Myrkr follow in her father's footsteps?

Will she find out about her father?

How will Azure train Myrkr when they are in different Isles? Myrkr can't abandon her assignment.

...Is Myrkr's mother still alive?

Would said mother be 'greedy' like her husband, or would she be kind?

See you guys next month ;) I'm so excited!