"I think we need to remove Neena from the castle." Gililion's tone, more an order, than a request.

Reyna looked at the general, her anger with the man rising once more, Gili's mood and manners had been getting on her nerves for months. It was as if he felt his words were law now, with Nazra on the brink of war Gili's head was swelling, the General seemed to be forgetting on a daily basis just who was in charge.

"General, I will decide when Lady Neena's to leave the castle, I alone, your Queen. Is that understood?"

Gili looked abashed, "Be sensible Reyna...I beg you," his tone now demure, his use of her name only allowed in the private settings, of her sitting room, or the bed room, "She corrupts the Alabastar, her room is a place of darkness, Vex says the walls have even stopped reflecting Alabastars pure light."

Reyna was growing annoyed, "She is my guest, and she is under my care. You are not to touch her General, or order anyone else to. Do I make myself clear?" Her voice laced with both anger, and threat, through gritted teeth.

"We don't even know what she is, what she's capable of." He hissed, "what if she wakes on the morrow and decides killing you would be her fun for the day. Listen to Vex, the woman is haunted by madness!" He finished with a heart felt plea.

"Don't forget where we are General," Reyna waved her hand signifying the castle, "we are seated in the center of my power, where I am most powerful."

"She corrupts the Alabastar my Queen, wherever she steps the Alabastar is scarred and darkened, please my Queen send her to one of the House's estates, it doesn't have to be far away, just out of the Lance."

She stared into her lovers bright yellow eyes, seeing the love and care that he had for her, full and deep within, "I will think on it Gili, I promise, but for now let us prepare to meet with the House Nobles."

"Those pampered asses," He scoffed, "must we listen to their drivel and whining, they live pampered lives, gaining their riches off the backs of those truly blessed and with the draca. Why do you cater to them?"

Reyna powdered her nose, choosing to do it herself instead of having servants and ladies in waiting strutting about and listening in on conversations, "Gili, the royal Houses are just as necessary as the Dracgons. They may not be on the borders fighting, but they help run the kingdom, they help keep the Dracgons connected to family. You of all people should know this, how many Dukes have you named for House Wrent in your life time?"

Gili scoffed, "Still doesn't mean you have to kiss their..."

"I don't," interjected the Queen, " this is the first time in centuries that we are going to rally all our armies for war Gili. We will not just be using the Dracgons, Bishops, and Wreaker's graduates, we will be fighting the supernatural once again with traditional ground forces."

Her words weren't reaching the General, "Bahhhh, they'll be backed up with all sorts of air support, not to mention the navy just off the coast, Go in there, tell them they're going to do exactly as you say, and like it!"

The 'dances of court' were something the old General would never get used to, he was all about seeing, accessing, and conquering. She supposed if things were that easy, Gililion would make a good ruler, but things never were, so now her opinionated General was just grating on her nerves.

"I think you take the werewolves too lightly Gili, don't be like them, they took us too lightly once and look what happened to them."

Gili went to speak but then thought a few moments before continuing, "Of course your Highness, you are absolutely correct, we've been ruling for a long time now, it can be too easy to take ones station for granted. I just hate having to see you deal with so much..." He put his hands on the Queen's shoulder gently massaging them.

She shot him a sharp look, "I am the Queen, General! Do not worry about what things I've to deal with, you just make sure your arrogance and over confidence doesn't cost us." Gili pulled his hands away angered by her insult, "The wolves are at our door, organized and wielding a power even I don't fully understand. Unless you know something I don't, don't presume to tell me how to run the Royal Houses, we are facing our gravest threat since the Reckoning, Gili, and you'd best have our troops prepared for EVERYTHING!" She finished with a shout, her face reddening, she hoped the nobles waiting in the adjacent room hadn't heard her outburst.

She'd neutered him, Gili's face reddened in anger? Embarrassment? Perhaps both, whichever he remained silent.

"Reports say a large group of the werewolves forces are mounted?"

Her question pulled the General from his melancholy, "Yes, your Highness, they ride the hard shelled keetones."

"How will our calvary fair against them should it come to that?"

Gili shifted uncomfortably, "There has never been a battle fought where we have faced of large numbers of the mounted desert Paladins, my Queen. We've made every attempt to procure these beast, but the Rani's rule the desert, and have forbidden the sale or gifting of the beast to any "Greenlanders", all attempts to buy, or steal them has led to failure and the death to any that have tried. The keetones secrets are a desert knowledge they guard with their blood."

Reyna leaned in closer to the mirror, plucking an eyebrow, "We'll see about that," she snidely remarked, "I'll have one of these beast for you by the end of the week General."

Gili raised a brow in suspicion.

Reyna pinned up her hair, the General placing the Alabastar crown atop her head, looking in the mirror to make one last time before standing. Her blue dress, emblazoned with a large golden dracgon was buttoned to the neck, its length would brush the floor as she walked. She paused a moment lightly brushing her cheeks, admiring the smooth, soft skin of youth, the vitality and passions of being young, it was here youth, and her kingdom that gave her the greatest joys in her life, and now they were both being threatened, by fiery wolves in the south.

"Go and tell Neena I will need her to attend this meeting, but wait with her in here, I will knock if I need you."

She watched Gili through the mirror, he looked about to argue before thinking better of it, "As you wish...my Queen." He exited the room to do as she'd ordered.

***************

Neena walked quickly behind General Gililion, holding the hooded cape and cowl tightly about her neck, keeping her face completely covered. There were people throughout the halls, each casting stares in her direction, some of pity, sympathy, sadness, and sorrow, all feelings she'd herself had, she didn't need the peoples pity! Those looks were the small minority, with all the rest looking at her in various stages of muted fright or terror, she found their looks to be surprisingly intoxicating, the people feared her, and she liked it?!!

She was shocked by the summons, Reyna had given her no warnings, no heads up, it disappointed her a bit, Reyna had been, so supportive, so protective. But, now she was going to parade her before all the Governors of the Royal Houses? Fear entangled her stomach, her eyes blinking back a tsunami of tears, feeling betrayed by the one she'd come to trust, the one she relied on the most. It was times like these she wished Vex were here, the gentle court jester had found a place in her heart with his quick wit and silly antics, she'd no doubt in her mind that he'd have eased her fears, whether by smooth words or one of his wide, toothy smiles. She missed him on the days he was too busy to visit, seeing him was one of the few things she really enjoyed in these dark days of her life.

She'd began to feel ill at ease more and more each day, confined within the walls of the castle, and the artificial skies within Queens Lance. She hated walking the halls of the castle, each time she lifted her foot walking, her print would leave a 'dirty' haze in the Alabastar sheen floors, like a child's muddy footprints clomping across their mothers freshly done floors. Vex had told her it would take almost a day before her polluted steps were 'cleaned' by the Alabastar magics within the keeps walls and floors. Neena felt the castle itself telling her that she was no longer welcome here, and it terrified her.

The General walked in silence, as was his custom around her, he was a handsome man with long flowing white-blond hair, but he was all business, which she'd grown to expect, but something about the General unnerved her. Before her injuries when the General seen her he would stare at her, admiring her beauty, now he barely looked at her. He wore the traditional 'blacks' that most Dracgons chose to wear when stationed in the Lance, shirt, trouser, and boots all black, an Alabastar Dracgon with a long war braid sewn on the right side of his chest. She quickened her pace, almost walking beside the giant of a man, hoping to hide beneath his towering presence, the stares seemed to be getting more intense...nervous...fearful.

Beneath the bandages she could feel her face splitting and cracking with a smile, the taste of her own foul blood touched her tongue as her lips cracked, smiling beneath the facial shroud. Repulsed her knees weakened, her stomach churned, feeling sick, she stumbled, falling into the General. Her insides were in fits, her stomach and chest burning in the rot that was her body.

Gililion caught her, helped her steady her feet, "The battles are just beginning soldier, knees up." He tried to comfort her with the a line from the Old Soldiers song:

"I lied on my face the nights before,

In frightened prayer, knees bloodied and bent,

The nights now howl, wolves at the door,

Knees up! Your prayers have been sent,

Yours prayers have been sent.

Knees up! The battle is nigh,

Knees up! Hear the wolves cry."

"You've still a role in this war, Lady Neena." He said, as he opened the door to the Queens sitting room.

"Thank you, General," she said softly, to his attempt to cheer her up in his rigid, soldiers kind of way.

The sitting room was simply adorned, paintings of past Dracgons were spaced about the room in fine detail, and vibrant colors. Despite some of the ages of the paintings, none shown signs of fade, or decay, as if the Alabastar magics within the castle preserved the oils and skins in which the portraits were painted. Decorative ebony frames, with numerous, serpentine dragons inner twined with one another held the canvas taut, with small ivory name plates, naming just who the portrait was of. She was walking by the portrait of Vahn Adze, one of Niko's ancestors, she could see where Niko got his firm brow and strong jaw from, Vahn handsome, but not as striking as Niko.

A large circular fountain took up most of the room, a bench circled the perimeter of the fountain. The center of the fountain was a geyser of water which rose a few feet into the air, the waters casting its own array of mist and light across the Alabastar walls and floor. Normal circumstances would've had Neena marveling at the artistry of the fountain, and the beauty, and magic of the Alabastar. Instead, her darkening mood and growing anxiety all but dismissing the breath taking view and engineering marvel. The sitting room set high upon the fourth floor of the castle, looking out over the Alabastar city, a beauty of magical proportions, both a blessing to the eye, and the soul. Queens Lance providing hope and courage in a dark, and ever deadlier Nazra. All this was lost on Neena, her body now racked with pain, sat down on the bench surrounding the fountain. Gililion sat down at the Queen's vanity, careful not to bump or spill any of her make ups or facial paints.

All Neena could do now was wait, as more pain overtook her, her insides on fire and burning, she struggled to focus, the room spinning. Gililion looked at her, oblivious of her inner plight, her wrapped and bandaged body showing no outward signs of the agony she endured within. Something was happening, something bad, a haze of pain and panic consuming her.

*******

"With all due respect your Highness, don't you think it premature to begin evacuating the southern regions to the tunnels, I mean the wolves haven't even crossed the borders?" Governor Griggs of House Throes argued.

Reyna wasn't surprised by the fat, Griggs's argument, knowing the Governor of Nazra's most southern border towns would be reluctant to abandon their estates, houses, lands, and towns. Griggs was an obese, balding man, short and always sweating beneath his various rolls of fat.

"I'm not offering suggestions Governor Griggs," she began sternly, "my ancestors and I have ruled Nazra for centuries and during that time you and your families have all prospered."

Griggs looked as if he wanted to choke, the Queens words not sitting well with the Governor of the House of ill refute.

"The werewolves have accessed a magic and weapon from the kilns of Hada, they are using the Forever Fires here, on Nazra." Reyna paused a moment, the Governors taking in this knowledge matter of fact, "The Fires that the Known intended for the wicked, and the Unknown, are now being wielded by one of our deadliest enemies."

Reyna was growing frustrated trying to rouse these spoiled nobles to action, most had never seen battle, living their lives in luxury and comfort, and now she was ordering them to abandon it all, to evacuate to the tunnels, or make the long trek to Queens Lance.

"Lesna in all her wisdom ordered all tunnels to be maintained, and new ones built," continued the young Queen, "this edict never changed, throughout every Queens reign the Governors were told to keep and maintain the tunnels that once harbored those fighting for survival. I trust you've all taken this duty seriously." She looked around at all the Governors faces, her heart sinking, each wore a look of shame and discomfort, each portraying various levels of dereliction. Reyna's heart ached even more, she was ordering her people into hiding once again, and it appeared they'd be running to filth and squalor, the Governor's had grown soft and complacent.

Reyna's nostrils flared in anger, the twelve Governors sitting around the table silent now in their shame. She had to tread carefully, all the Governors, with the exception of House Throes were appointed by the Dracgons, so they were usually someone near and dear to her Braided Knights. Indys and Ezra were both still new to becoming Dracgons so the Governor's of their House's were still old appointees from their predecessors. Griggs was her appointee, she chose the Governors for House Throes, and right now she regretted it deeply, the fat man gleefully chomping, enjoying the fruits and wines the servants had set out. In his younger days Griggs had been easy to manipulate and control, but the fat man seemed to be growing more and more insolent as the years passed.

"Could we perhaps wait, we do have the Dracgons after all?" Griggs tried to reason.

"Have you not been listening!" Shouted Reyna, "Are your minds addled? These Scalders are killing Dracgons! The Forever Fires are the deadliest threat we've seen since the Reckoning, the threat is real, the threat is now." She noticed the door to the sitting room open a crack, Gililion!

Griggs reached for a peach, fresh picked this morning from one of the Lances many orchards, he opened his mouth but never got to taste, the sweet fruit, Reyna slapping it from his fat fingers, sending it exploding against the Alabastar walls. The other nobles stared in stunned silence, Griggs rubbing his fat fingers, trying to rub out the pain in his hands from the Queen's slap.

"Highness, you can understand Governor Griggs hesitation," began Governor Deln Cleave, "you're asking them to abandon homes and lands with the enemy hundreds of miles away."

Reyna drew in a deep breath, her patience waning, she was tempted to have Gili come in now and brutally convince them, "Governors, have you not been listening, or reading the reports? A Scalder is capable of taking out miles of forest and lands, it will wipe out towns and cities within minutes, the Dracgon's have been able to contain them somewhat up to this point, but that is within the Scorch." She paused a moment, letting her words sink in, "Fighting them over green lands where they have forage and trees to fuel them will make extinguishing them even tougher."

Governor Ballis of House Adze addressed the room, "Correct me if I am wrong Governor Griggs, but didn't we loose two border towns when the Scalders first appeared?" He was Niko's uncle, a tall handsome man with long dark hair, the strong brow and jaws of House Adze sharp in his features.

Griggs shrugged him off, "Those were more settlements than towns, tents and tarps mostly."

Ballis gave him a look of disbelief, shaking his head.

"I'll argue with you no more Governor, begin the evacuations." Reyna glared hard at him, the look laced with a threatening glare.

Griggs met her gaze, locking eyes with her, his eyes full of arguments, but he wavered and complied, "As you command my Queen." He said, reaching for another peach.

"I think at this time we need to stop worrying about lands, homes, titles, and what not and worry about survival." Added a concerned Wilva Bastion, she was Popper's father's favorite sister, appointed by his father, Popper had kept her as Governor when he had become House Dracgon.

Finally she was getting through to at least some of them she thought. Her heart sank as she realized that the centuries of peace and security had made her people soft. In Lesna's day, the people were hardened warriors, survivors, tunnel rats that fought with such ferocity it had inspired their Queen to fight with an equal ferociousness. Reyna succumbed to a dark grimness her subjects were not ready for this war. The people of Nazra, taking their Queen and her powers for granted, a false sense of security in the Dracgons that were now being pushed to the brink, long, weakened enemies that had posed no really threat for centuries.

"Any word on the Dracgon of House Pierce?" Asked Wilva.

"None." Said Reyna sadly, "I am beginning to think that they might be among the missing nobles that we had sent to the Academy. General Gililion and I have been discussing what our next move should be." Just then the door of the sitting room swung open, Gililion entered the room, Reyna looked at her General suspiciously.

"Pardon me your Highness, Governors," he said bowing his head, "Lady Neena has volunteered to go in search of our missing Dracgon, her experience as an Eagle should aid her in an aerial search."

Wilva Bastion's green eyes lit up, "Neena? Is she well enough to fly?" she asked excitedly, "I would most love to see my niece!"

Reyna's cheeks flushed in anger! What was Gili doing?

"She's right here Governor Bastion, Neena, come say hello to your Aunt Wilva." The General motioning her through the door and into the strategy room.

Dread and horror swept over Reyna, she'd only had Neena on standby in the sitting room as a last resort, a card to only be used as a last resort, something she'd not wanted to do, and would not have had to, the Governors were complying. She'd only planned on showing them Neena as a fear tactic, let them see the damage a Scalder could inflict even on one with the draca. But, it was a tactic that she wasn't planning on using, Neena wouldn't have had to have been paraded out in front of the nobles. Her anger growing into rage, Gililion was trying to get Neena out of the castle.

"She's not ready for that General," she snapped, "I will not have her..."
"Please your Highness," begged Neena, "I am ready to be or service once more, while time in the castle is a pleasure, I am going mad confined inside its walls."

Neena stepped forward meekly. Even more troubling, was how weakly she was walking, Gililion seemed to be holding her up by one of her arms. The Governors all gasped or stared in some form of controlled terror as Neena stepped amongst them, all but Wilva Bastion were cringing in Neena's presence. As Wilva pushed out her chair and stood up making her way towards her niece, a few of the nobles heaved and gasped as the smell of Neena's rotting flesh began to fill the room.

Reyna gave a short controlled gasp, the smell of decaying flesh a new symptom for the tortured woman.

"Neena my darling, it's so good to see you dear." Wilva's eyes now tearing up, her hands reaching out to hug her niece.

Neena fell into her Aunts hug "Auntie V." She whispered affectionately.

Reyna stepped close, placing a hand on the caped shoulder of Neena's hooded cowl. Reyna looked into saddening eyes and knew she was looking into the eyes of a dying woman. Reyna's heart raced in bitter sadness, as the spark of life slowly faded from Neena's eyes.

"Neena! NEENA!" She shouted.

"The KNOWN!" Exclaimed a stunned Wilva, as Neena collapsed in her arms, Reyna grabbing Neena's left arm and helping the straining Wilva gently lower her to the floor.

"I am sorry my Queen," whispered Neena, her rancid breath assailing Reyna as the dying woman pulled her close, "I would've found the Pierce Dracgon, I would've..."

"I know you would've Eagle, I know you would have." Reyna whispered, trying to comfort the dying woman, Reyna's eyes filling with tears.

Wilva began weeping, Reyna watched helplessly as the woman she'd promised to save, slowly died in their arms.

"I'm sorry Rey....." Neena's last words an apology to her monarch.

Reyna watched as the life slipped from her once vibrant eyes.

"A soul to the Known." Whispered Aunt Wilva.

"I doubt it." Muttered Gililion for Reyna's ears only.

Reyna paused a moment closing her eyes, reciting a prayer to the Known, asking him to take the soul of one of his own. She finished, paused a few moments more to gather herself before opening her eyes. When she did, the sight of Wilva's bulging eyeballs popping from her skull as the Alabastar bandages wrapped around her head like a great constrictor, Wilva's cracking, and snapping skull showering Neena and Reyna in its gore.

Reyna's eyes now locked onto Neena's, the once vibrant eyes were now darkened orbs of malice? Confusion? Rage? All of it, a malevolent being, birthed in loyalty, and love, seared in hate and rage, off the tortured souls of those Unknown, held at bay by a woman who moments ago was dead. For a moment Reyna was transfixed, trapped within her hollow, enticing eyes, the only thing rescuing from its gaze was a familiar voice.

"Run Reyna, Run!" Whispered Neena in warning.

The sounds of Alabastar's lightnings, snapping and crackling swallowed the air in the room, the Queen's Alabastar keep and Dracgon rising to her defense, against a being unknown to Nazra. Neena was now a seared, blackened, but once righteous soul of tortured malevolence sent as a herald proclaiming to the world of men that the Forever Fires were coming, to torch and punish, to burn Nazra with its unrighteous Flames of impurity, to turn Nazra into a part of the Scorch, the Forever Waste.

Gili's strong Dracgon arms grabbed his Queen up in a Dracgon's hug, turning and shielding her with his now transformed body, Neena's bindings licking and snatching at Reyna, lustfully wanting to devour her. Gili roared as the whipped and lashed into his Alabastar Dracgon scales, leaving blackened marks wherever they touched him.

Reyna had to give Governor Griggs some credit, the fat man had lunged at Neena the moment she'd attacked, the fat man much more agile than she would have guessed, he too had jumped between Neena, to protect her with his own body. Griggs was blown to pieces, in a mist of blood soaked smoke of Alabastar's lightning, the keeps captive dragon Lott unleashing the powers of the Alabastar throne.

Ultimately it was Griggs's fat carcass that had saved Neena, the fat man taking numerous strikes of lightning that had been intended for her. She jumped towards the large opened cathedral style window, her bandages lashing and stretching to snatch up three more of the Governors. Brutally she yanked them by the neck, snapping each of them as she shielded her self from the castles lightning strikes, numerous bolts striking in vicious succession.

Neena was jolted a few times, absorbing the strikes. But, feeling the flames? The pain threatened to pull her down but she knew any hesitations now would be the death of her. Her bandages lashed out once again, dragging four more Governors to their gory deaths. The castle's attack intensified, Neena grabbing up two more Governors as she raced across the ceiling and walls, the Alabastar's storm of lightning and fire chasing her as she weaved her way towards freedom.

Gililion was now attacking, the Alabastar points of the 'hair-pic' looking projectiles he flung at her, whistled through the air, Gililion flinging them at her faster and faster. The bandages languished, and woe'd forth, slapping and snapping the Dracgon's projectiles as they made their way towards her, but none of them touched her. Neena felt the bandages soaking in the nobles misting blood, feeling invigorated, she snatched up the remaining nobles as she jumped towards the window.

The Queen was no where to be found, something deep within Neena grateful.

Gililion bellowed, an enraged Dracgon's fire consuming Governor Ballis, Neena screamed in ear screeching pain as the flames ignited her right arm, she dove through the window, two Governors in tow. As she went through the window, a bolt of Alabastar lightning hit her in the lower back, tearing her in half, blinded by pain she plunged towards the ground, knowing death was soon to follow.

As the darkness took her, she slammed into something, face first, with a hard thud, a moment later she watched her legs land on the rig a few feet from her. A rig? She was on her old Scalder-rig? She heard a maniacs laugh? It was a laugh she'd heard before.

Ben?

She barely had the energy to lift and turn her head towards the front of the sled, in agony she stared, seeing Ben. Half his face his normal self, the other half a darkened, burnt, polluted, Alabastar skull. The eyeless socket stared at her gleefully as Ben's laughter filled inside the mountain of Queens Lance, as they raced for the falls, the Dracgon's mountain exit.

Neena could feel the bones of the two Governors still wrapped in her bindings cracking and snapping, fire in a pile of leaves, the gore of their insides being squished and pushed out through their orifices. The loud crackings of their skulls bringing a moments smike to her face...Popper. She could feel herself becoming stronger, the tighter the bindings squeezed, the more life she could feel within, but with that life was a darkness,a darkness like no other.

Ben continued his maniacal laughter, lightning flashing and snapping at them from the palace towers, Neena lowered her head, feeling the familiar touch of the rig once more, feeling the weeping soul's of her six dead crew men, their smoldered remains only small, lumpy mounds on this death rig. Neena closed her eyes wanting to die, Ben's laughter suddenly garbled as they crashed through the falls, bursting forth into the starry, moon lit night.

Mercifully she fell into darkness, the darkness that swallowed the pain, a welcome relief. The darkness threatening to engulf her soul she fought. The darkness's flames beckoned and howled as the souls of the damned and unknown shouted to her, wanting her, enticing her. She fought, she raged, she ran, but eventually...

Neena succumbed to the darkness.