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Vastati fatum (Ravaged by fate).	By : Solaris & Manta Category: +M through R > Mighty Ducks Cartoon Views: 1533 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mighty Ducks, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
Author's Note: Hope you enjoy the next few uploads as we get serious about everything.

Summer stood before Tristan in her bare feathers as he painted symbols on her body. It had been two days since she has to keep her distance from Nazan. Tristan has explained the symbols before hand that they were like an extra set of instructions for the spell to reduce risks of anything going wrong. He had tailored them according to Tarisn’s medial report. Tristan smiled as he finished painting the last of the symbols. “All done, I’ll just need you to careful go into the ritual room I set up, be careful not to scuff anything drawn on the walls or the floor and go to the center of the casting circle.”

Summer nodded as she entered the room leaving Nazan standing by Tarisn’s side. She wanted to kiss him before entering but she knew if she did, the spell casting would have to be postponed for another 48 hours and they’ve waited for that long to get to this point.
Tarisn looked at Nazan. “She wanted to kiss you before she went in.”

“I know, I wanted to do the same, but I held back,” Nazan replied, as he turned to look at Tristan. “So what is next?”
“From what I understand he casts from outside the circles he has it set to start slowly a build up the momentum so that her body ages without too much strain, done too quickly she’d be ripped to shreds. In bio magic, Tristan has always gone the extra steps to make sure his spells are safe, the exception is when in combat.”
“Have you seen him in combat?” asked Nazan, as he noticed Tristan heading into the ritual room leaving them both standing there to wait for the ritual to be over with.
“I have, the most frightening is he can quick cast with a gesture and a touch to stop the heart of his opponent. You might say it’s good that he’s under healers’ oath, I’d be scared to see him as a shadow guild member.”
“I bet, he probably would have been deadly if he was in their guild,” Nazan said. “But I’m glad he went to the Healers,”
“That makes two of us.”
Nazan turned his attention to the closed doors as he wondered what was happening within the room and was his Summer okay.
Tarisn put her hand on Nazan’s arm in reassurance, “Don’t worry she will be ok.”
“I hope so, as she is my family’s key,” Nazan replied.
“Your family key, what do you mean by that?” Even though, Tarisn knew she wanted him to talk till Tristan came out of the room
“She’s the key to keep the station overhead functioning, if I do not have a wife and pass on, it will go to another branch of the Rokfeather house,” Nazan replied.
“Isn’t that a good that it will stay in the family at least?”
“No, because it means Rokfeather is weakening and will become a target.” Tarisn was about to speak when Nazan continued to speak. “Its just like the Seabirds, yes, I know Kelsa is barren, even though everyone is keeping that silent for a good reason. If she doesn’t have a daughter soon, that fleet and her house will go to a cousin and the Seabirds will be seen as weakening and the other fleets will try to take over their fleet.”
“Space has no mercy, looks like I’ve lived planet side too long. I had almost forgotten that.”
“You, of all people, shouldn’t forget that rule of space, Tarisn.” Nazan replied.
“I know, I should have been more firm with my husband on Wing and Dive getting a ‘Suscan education’, he still doesn’t know that Nosedive is enrolled here and I’m worried Nosedive will not come back from Sunset Island.”
Nazan looked to her. “He will come back, but it will always be home to him, you can’t help it after that incident. The hardest lessons for him will be to blend in and be unnoticed by regular people.”
“I think he will as he’ll learn to blend in,” Tarisn stated. “It will be Staran and Wing who will notice something odd about him,”
“I’ll help him learn how to blend in and be unnoticed by others, after all, he will become my student soon,” Nazan replied, as he glanced at the door. “What stage do you think they’re in? I really never had seen an ageing ritual before?”
“It’s been almost an hour so the temporal construct should be build by now which is the central casting if I remember correctly. He’ll be activating the other casting circles sequentially to accelerate time within the main temporal construct. The casting marks he put on Summer will activate one by one as time moves inside the construct aging her body to the specified point in time. We have a few hours to wait still. We are not allowed in there because we can either be caught in it or disrupt it which could kill Summer.”
Nazan rolled his eyes as he looked down at his pants and spoke. “I’ll have to handle with doing you with my hand till she’s in the clear to get naughty with.”
Tarisn laughed at what Nazan said to his penis. “You could go off to the station and have a hen for a few hours, Nazan.”
Nazan shook his head. “No, I’m a one hen drake now. She’s the only one my penis will enter. I’ll just have to hand do him till she’s done with being aged and gets the green light from you on getting hot and heavy with.”
“Might want to get some toys for yourself then, it could still be a few days till I give the green light for that.”
“My hand will do the job, I am never one for those toys they try to sell me when I’m on the station,” Nazan said, as he looked at the door with the longing to enter the room but he turned and headed for the stairs to go deal with the school till his mate was done being aged and the doctor gave the green light for them to get intimate.
Tarisn shook her head as she took a seat and started to look over her files on both Nazan and Summer making sure that she didn’t miss anything that could kill her or him, even though that would be unlikely unless the bitch of his ex-wife found out about it and is planning on killing herself in revenge on Nazan. She hoped that she would not find out at all, as Nazan needed some good in his life.
~~~~~~~~~
Nosedive stood on the balcony of the hotel suite overlooking Kashuka. The city was as big as Keltor and they were on the top floor of the 18 story hotel so the view was something to see. He had been surprised when Rowain had asked for the suite usually reserved for the Black Dove on visits. It was huge and took up the entire top level; he and Tensu even had their own room. He had wondered why there was such a hotel in Kashuka but Rowain had told him that though the Doves seemed closed off to the rest of the planet part of their economy was based off of galactic tourism as well as a center for trade and research. Kashuka was just one of the Doves’ cities that have a lot of both. Dive felt Tensu coming onto the balcony. “I’m a bit stunned by how everything looks from the top floor.”
“You never been away from your home city before, Nosedive, so you would be a bit taken back by it,” Tensu replied, as he stepped to his side. “But there is one thing that I’m glad for,”
“And what’s that?” Dive whispered.
“That I’m here to share the experience of you seeing your lands for the first time,” Tensu replied, with a big smile on his face.
Nosedive let Tensu’s words linger in his mind. “My lands? Do you mean like where my family is from?”
“Where part of your family came from, but also that they belong to you. That is as certain as the mark on your back.”
Dive nodded, as the voice within his mind stated that what his friend told him is true. He looked over the land. “Do you think they know that a Flashblade is here?”
“Probably not, remember for a long time our people thought the Flashblades had died out.”
Dive got that smirk on his face and started to yell out, “Hey Kashuka, a Flash . . .,”
When a chestnut colored hand clamped his bill shut and a voice hissed, “You do nothing of the kind, Dive. You do not want to reveal yourself as of yet, for it will be known the minute you step on your family’s estate,”
Nosedive gave Rowain a nasty look, he was just having fun but the Raptrin always took things way too seriously. “Why not? Why can’t I scream out to Kashuka that a Flashblade is here?”
“It is inappropriate and until you set foot on the Flashblade estate it’s best not to because no one will believe you and will cause unwanted complications.”
“Even with my tattoo on my back, they won’t believe that I’m a Flashblade?” asked Dive.
“There have been many fakes over the years trying to claim to be Flashblades, even to the point of putting the Flashblade mark on themselves. We will go about it quietly and let the land do the talking.”
“Headmaster, how will the land tell if Dive is a real Flashblade and then tell it to the populace?” asked Tensu.
“You will see, you are close to Nosedive so you will not feel it the same way others will.” Rowain took out a couple items from his luggage that looked like wrist communicators. “Both of you put one of these on so that you do not get lost and we can find each other if need be.”
Dive and Tensu placed one on their left wrists. “What now, headmaster?”
Rowain took out a couple pouches and handed them to the two boys. “I want you two to explore the city and take notes of places of interest and any landmarks you may find. You two are due back just before dark and you will have to tell me the most interesting spot you’ve found here in the city, and it has to be different for both of you,”
Dive looked at him. “So it means we’re going to be walking alone in the city?”
Rowain nodded. “Yup, cause if you walked together, the experience and the sites will be the same,”
“But isn’t that dangerous, headmaster?”
“For a Dove child, it is not, nor should it be for a Flashblade in Sunset Valley. The land is your chaperone.”
“So I won’t be in any danger because the city will keep me safe?” asked Dive, as he examined the bag to find a notepad and pens and a bag of coins. He pulled the bag out and shook it. “So why do we have the bag of coins, Rowain?”
“When you get hungry, you can get some food while you are exploring,” Rowain stated.
“You know it will take us more then a day to explore right Rowain?”
“We have the first week in the city, plenty of time.”
Dive looked at Rowain and then to Tensu. “How many weeks are we here for?”
“Two weeks, Dive. Long enough to allow your tattoo to heal and to give you and your best friend a history lesson,” Rowain said. “Now, you two don’t have too many hours left in the day, so you better get a moving.”
Dive and Tensu nodded and headed for the door, Dive took note that the wrist com also had a map in it, and right now it was showing him and Tensu moving around the building area. He assumed that the stationery dot was Rowain. If Rowain was staying at the hotel then he and Tensu could easily find their way back.
Tensu looked at the block that they were at. He wanted to go right as Dive looked to the left. “Why don’t we meet back here at noon, Dive?”
Dive looked at him. “You don’t want to explore together?”
“We can do it after lunch is over with, that way, you can explore some on your own and we can explore together later on,” Tensu replied.
Dive nodded. “At noon here we meet back up to explore more together.”
Tensu nodded as he headed to the right and headed off looking at the buildings and then vanishing. Dive looked at the com to see that he was not far away before turning and heading off to explore the side of the city that he picked.
He let his feet guide him as he marveled at the old and new buildings. But what was more fascinating were the trees, he had never seen such large ones out in the open just lining a street with no other purpose then being there. In Keltor, trees were for growing food or for raw materials and only in greenhouses beyond the rare ones that was allowed to grow out on the streets with special lamps directed at them. He stopped when he came to what looked like a park but it was still full of trees and they seemed to get denser the farther in you went. The people of the city just seemed to ignore him at least until now.
“I wouldn’t enter there, little one, this may be the center of the city, but that is the blood forest, unless escorted by priests to the Tree of Life, you will probably not leave there alive.”
Dive smiled at the Drake who stood there. “Not to me, the Tree is welcoming me home,” And with that said, he strode into the blood forest as the wind picked up blowing the leaves in a weaving line between the trunks as if trying to make sure that the path to the center was clear for the child.
The Drake stood there in awe and then he actually felt the child’s presence, it was as eerie as was the forest. He knew that the kid he saw entering was more than what he appeared as he went racing off towards a large building. Dive looked back for a moment before continued to follow the path left by the leaves. The forest was peaceful he could not fathom why they’d call it the blood forest. He wasn’t quite sure what he was seeing at first when he approached the large area of roots but as he looked closely it wasn’t just a mass of trees and roots, the trees hand roots made a building.
He felt the bark of the tree as a door appeared. Dive was a bit shocked by the door that appeared as he opened it and walked into the building to find something else like a temple and when he got to the middle, there was a tree with leaves of pink. “Wow, its lovely.”
“Why have you come here child?” a voice came from behind him.
Dive turned with his dagger ready and somewhat relaxed when he saw it was probably a priest of the temple. He was going to say he was called to the place but Rowain had told him not to let on to himself as of yet. “I’m here because I was assigned to find a place of interest in the city and write about it. Until today I’ve never seen so many trees this massive and definitely not one with a building in it. So I’d say that this of interest.”
The priest laughed. “You have much luck then, most just get endlessly lost and die in the forest or are pretenders to the name of the Flashblade which are brought here to be judged by the Tree of Life. It does an old Raptrin good to see that there is someone who does not fall under either.” he smiled. “You are welcome to explore to your hearts content as long as nothing is broken or stolen, also there will be a judgment not long from now, there is a Drake claiming to be of Flashblade blood, the Tree of Life will be testing them. This tree here is but a sapling in comparison.”
“Why would one try to claim to be a Flashblade?” Dive asked, as they walked.
“This land has been without it’s avatar as it were for countless millennia, most do it for wanting power or for the wealth it would give them. They believe after so long, we would welcome anyone who claims Flashblade just to have a lord of the land again. It does not work that way, the land is sentient much like the Tree of Life, it is for them to choose not us. Anyone claiming to be a Flashblade is suspect of being a pretender. Flashblades died out before the Great War, though we do not know why the two lines fought each other to the point of extinction. The land and tree will choose it’s new avatar and lord when it is ready and finds a suitable vassal, until then we can wait.”
Dive thought about telling him that there are Flashblades living in Keltor but the old drake might not believe him as he just said that they would wait to find the Flashblade. “What if you knew that the Flashblades do exist out beyond the ocean of the island and that a real one was here right now in this temple?”
The old Raptrin looked at him. “Are there Flashblades beyond our waters? Are you sure, child?”
“My mom told me that there are three Flashblades, all males living on this planet, hiding maybe from those who would want to kill them so this island will be without its lords.” Dive said, fibbing about what his mom had said to him.
“If that is the case, the Tree of Life will protect them if they accept the Tree’s help. Not many people have seen the Flashblade use the power of the Tree of Life before, they say they could bring the dead back to life if the person had passed a moment before they got to them.” The old Raptrin said.
Dive smiled. “That would be a great power to have but then wouldn’t everyone come to them to heal or bring back the dead?”
“Yes, but that’s why the Tree of Life is picky about granting that even to Asp, she had to show good reason as to why the person who was laid out before her had to be revived and it was rare that she got that to happen.” The priest stated, as he looked at Dive. “Why don’t you stay and watch the execution, it should be educational to you,”
Dive nodded. “I’ll stay to bear witness to the Tree’s judgment,”
The priest led Dive to a section where there was some seats and told him to stay there as he hurried off to help the other priests get the chamber ready for the execution.
Dive wondered why they called it an execution instead of a trial, as he witnessed them opening the bark allowing the sap to drip into a small wooden cup. He wished that Rowain was there to help guide him through this strange ritual.
He looked up at the tree, it was huge, and it would take almost 30 Avians to be able to hug its trunk. The pink flowers with the dark green leaves made him smile; even the aged rough brown grey bark seemed welcoming. He turned his attention back to the priests who had gingerly placed the bark they had removed for the getting sap back into place. He scanned the rest of the chamber it seemed almost like a sort of throne room but without the throne. It took every bit of self control not to go right up to the tree and sit on its roots or get a close look at the small table the priests had set the cup down onto. He also partly wondered what the sap tasted like.
It was not long before they led a drake into the room and they chanted to the Tree of Life. The head priest turned to look at the drake. “You claim to be the missing Flashblade heir to Sunset Valley. If you claim to be the true missing Flashblade, drink from the cup from the Tree of Life and see if it deems you worthy.”
The priest handed the drake the wooden cup and the drake smiled as he bowed to the priest and the tree before taking a gulp of the sap. Everyone waited as the sap went down his throat but a moment later, the drake started to choke and then dropped to his knees before he fell face first and breathed no more.
Dive looked at the priest who stood next to him. “What happened?”
The priest looked at Dive. “The Tree of Life deemed him an imposter and killed him. Only a true Flashblade will be able to drink the sap and not die from it.”
“You mean the sap is poison?”
“A strong neurotoxin that shuts down the heart and brain almost instantly, the only mercy is that it is painless, most make the mistake of thinking the tree only grants life butt what can give life can also take it.”
“And the Tree can take life away with the sap,” Dive replied. “Is anyone immune to it?”
“So far the Flashblade clan, are the only ones we know who are immune to it, some priests in the past have been able to drink it but they became trees soon after.”
“So that is why there are so many trees in the courtyard, they’re the priests who drank the sap?” asked Dive.
“Yes, now if you excuse me, we must remove the remains and clean the fallen leaves of the Tree,” The priest got up and walked away with the other priests leaving the cup where it laid on the ground.
Dive waited for a moment before going up to the tree and stroking its bark to find that it was rather smooth before he bent down and picked up the cup. Without thinking that it could kill him, he took a sip of the sap. After he got it into his mouth, he looked at the cup as he licked his lip before tilting the cup back and finishing the sap off.
The priest he was talking with stepped back into the room to look in horror and shock as he watched the young child drinking the sap. He raced forth knowing it would be only a matter of moments before the Tree’s sap killed the child. “Tree of Life, do not kill this child! He made a mistake drinking the sap! Please spare his life!”
Dive blinked. “You sure there was sap in there? It tasted like sweet water. The toxin must be time sensitive and evaporates after a certain amount of time. So it was harmless when I drank it.”
The priest shook his head. “No, the toxin is not time sensitive, child, it remains toxic long after it is out of the Tree.”
The other priests came rushing into the room after hearing the cries from the priest. The priest turned to them. “This child just drank the sap of the Tree of Life. He’s dying.”
Dive shook his head. “I’m not as I am still breathing.”
The head priest looked at him something within his head was crying out ‘Flashblade, he’s a Flashblade!’ “What is your family’s name?”
“My family’s name is Flashblade.” Dive replied, not even thinking about saying another name.
“Then why didn’t you step forward?”
“I’m not supposed too, could you not tell anyone I’ll be in trouble with Rowain . . . I was just curious on what it tasted like.”
The head priest looked Dive over carefully. “You sure the sap has not affected you?”
“I’m very sure.”
“Very well you will stay here from now on.”
“I can’t do that, sir,” Dive said placing the glass back on the table. “I have to finish my assignment and be back at the hotel to present my report to Rowain. I have gotten into enough trouble as it is and I don’t want to be in any more trouble.”
“What trouble did you get into?” asked the priest, who had seen Dive drink the sap.
“I got my friend into trouble and he was bound to the pole in Raven’s Court courtyard, I was his warden and when my strength and energy to stay awake failed, the Tree of Life and the Spirit of Sunset Valley came to me and I accepted their aid to help save my friend and myself. I ended up saving the Dove that I had mortally wounded back to life,” Dive removed his shirt from his person and turned to show the tattoo on his back. “This was placed onto my back to appease both spirits and I fully accept them both along with the tattoo.” He pulled his shirt back down. “I may be a kid but…. I’m not stupid, if I get into any more trouble it will hurt a lot of people I care about and I can not afford to do that. I’ve already learned that lesson.”
The priests looked at each other and then to the Tree to see it waving towards the door. The head priest looked at Dive. “Will you return to us when you are older, my Lord Flashblade?”
“Maybe, I have yet to decide whether I want to stay on the island or not, for now it’s just school work.”
One of the other priests looked at Dive. “Perhaps one of us should escort you back to your hotel where you will be joining up with Rowain?”
“I’ll be fine on my own, now if you don’t mind I need to work on my assignment.”
The priest that saw him nodded his head and backed away allowing Dive to have his space as he pulled out his notepad and started to finish his assignment. When Dive got what he saw written down, he noticed that the priests were gone but for the one who saw him remained there. “Why did you remain when the others left the temple?”
He looked at him. “I have been assigned to make sure you are safely returned to your guardian before I am to return to the temple.”
“You don’t need to, Rowain knows where my classmate and I are. If something happens that we can not handle then he will be there to help.”
“They want to make sure that you are safe, even though I clearly can see that you are capable of dealing with any problems yourself but they insist that I go with you, till you are with your guardian.” The priest said, as they headed towards the door that led them to the Blood Forest and they walked through the forest to the main street. “Lead the way, my Lord.”
Dive grinned. “Just call me Nosedive, not my Lord, not yet that is.”
The priest nodded, as they walked down the street. “So, are there more Flashblades out there? Will you bring them to their home here?”
“There’s my dad Staran and older brother Wildwing, but that’s it in the ways of any Flashblade males beyond me.” Dive said, as he took notice of where Tensu was at and headed in that general direction as he noticed that Rowain’s dot was moving away from the hotel towards Dive’s location. “Looks like headmaster Rowain is heading towards my location.”
“Then, we should head in his direction, I’ll be able to explain my presence with you, my young friend,” The priest stated.
Dive nodded as it would be useful if the priest was able to explain his presence to Rowain. “I never got your name?”
“Vuldun Vangoose, I’ve served the tree of life since I was a boy.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dive said, looking at his com to see that Rowain’s dot was now moving faster. “Looks like Rowain is either running towards our direction or he’s in a vehicle.”
“Probably a vehicle, as we do have some aero rent a car to those who are in need of getting to places fast.” Vuldun stated, as they headed towards the corner.
When they reached the corner Rowain was waiting for them on a hover bike and didn’t seem to be overly happy about Dive being with the priest.
Dive started to open his bill when the priest spoke, “Do not look angry at our young Lord, the Tree of Life guided him to our temple and the drink of the Tree of Life proved who he is to the priesthood.”
“Nosedive, you should have been more careful.” Rowain looked to the priest. “If word gets out about him beyond the temple clergy then there will be even more reason to call it the blood forest.”
“They will keep it close to their chest till the young Lord returns formally to reclaim what is legally his to claim,” Vuldun replied.
“Good, now go back from where you came, your kind draw too much attention in a Dove nation.”
Vuldun smiled and made a small bow to them both before walking into the forest and the trees hid him immediately with their branches.
“Thanks for chasing him off, Rowain, I tried to get him to leave,” Dive replied.
Rowain’s shades that he wore lowered enough for Dive to see his red eyes glaring at him. “A grade will be dropped on your report because of this,”
“What!” Dive replied.
“You were clearly instructed not to reveal yourself to anyone till you reached the estate,” Rowain growled off. “Now go find where Tensu is and return to the hotel.”
Dive was about to say something in his defense when Rowain sped off on the hover bike. Dive called out to him a nasty term that he had learned from Lola.
Rowain heard the term and shook his head as he knew Dive was a bit angry for him chasing off the priest but the priest had no business with the Doves as he sped off down the street.
Dive heard his name being called and turned to see Tensu jogging up to his location.
“What happened? I saw yours and Rowain’s markers here not long ago.” Tensu said while catching his breath.
“I got into trouble and Rowain had to do some damage control.”
“What sort of trouble?”
“I drank the sap from the Tree of Life, I was curious on how it tasted and I didn’t think the priests were watching.”
“Dive!” Tensu replied. “You were supposed to keep from getting into more trouble. What are you a walking trouble maker?”
“Well, it seems hard not to get into trouble… I mean I didn’t hurt anyone…”
“This time around?” Tensu replied. “But we better get moving to the hotel before Rowain starts to hunt us down,”
Dive sighed. “I really do just mess things up, alright let’s get back before there is more trouble.”
Tensu nodded, as they hurried in the direction of the hotel. Rowain was waiting for them in a black wingback chair. “You two are done your reports?”
“We need about another hour to fully complete our reports, Headmaster,” Tensu replied.
Rowain smirked. “Then, you have fifty minutes to finish it or a grade point will be deducted from your total grade,”
Dive rolled his eyes as he grabbed Tensu’s arm. “We better get working on it. I already lost a grade point from mine.”
It was no more than forty minutes later, Dive and Tensu presented Rowain with their reports.
Rowain smirked, “Now before I read them over I want an oral over view of each one, Tensu you start.”
Tensu stood straight and took a deep breath, “My report is on Argile Del Kush, while not being a place many would go to willingly it is a place of interest. Kashuka is one of the few Dove metropolis’s open to outsiders. Argil Del Kush is a drifter sanctuary and workshop where they recreate technologies from the past and archive all their findings about the past Orithia. They also strive to develop the technologies further but have no desire to share it with current Orithia the exception being our people. They see no harm since the Doves have been since before that era and continue strongly even now. The Argile was given to them eight generations ago and in return they share their findings with our people and so we share what we know of those times with them.”
Rowain nodded. “Good Tensu, and now your turn, Nosedive?”
Nosedive took a deep breath. “Mine is on the temple of the Tree of Life inside the blood forest at the center of town. It did not start out as a point of interest but simple curiosity even though I was warned not to go in by a passerby. It is a place if nothing else of personal interest, I didn’t get much of a chance to explore due to my lack of thought but I did see why just claiming to be of my line is not enough. They make imposters drink the sap of the Tree of Life because the ones who are immune are the Flashblade clan. The sap is actually quite sweet, but my mistake was not making sure no one was watching when I tasted it.”
Rowain raised a brow. “I see, any other points of interest?”
Dive shook his head. “Not really, the Tree of Life is huge but some how distant.”
Rowain made a nod. “Very well, you two should get washed up and go to the lounge downstairs to get a bite to eat.”
“Thank you, Rowain.” Tensu led Dive to their room and got cleaned up before heading to the lounge to get something to eat.
As they sat at the table eating, Dive spoke about wanting to return to the Tree of Life to see if there is anything else of interest there, but Tensu wasn’t so sure that Rowain would allow him to return there.
Tensu looked at Dive. “Why do you want to risk more trouble from Rowain? He’s already angry at what you did drinking the sap from the Tree of Life,”

“I know, I didn’t take precautions to make sure that no one would see me,” Dive replied. “But I want to return there and check it out further,”
“Do you know that Rowain will not permit you to return there, Dive?”
“I know but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Dive replied.
“So what I don’t know won’t hurt me, eh, Dive?” asked a male voice coming from behind him. Dive turned around in his seat to see Rowain standing there. “There’s a reason why I didn’t want you to be known to the Priests,”
“Why didn’t you tell me the reasons before I ventured off then, Rowain?” Nosedive hissed, as he stood up glaring at him.
“Because they will try to hold you here and if not they may try to make one of your other family members become the trees avatar. Also they will now be constantly watching you and to be honest you don’t want that. Right now the only things you should be worrying about is your schooling and being a kid. Don’t grow up too fast because there is no going back.”
“I told them that I will be back when I am grown and they’re holding that to me,” Dive replied.
“They expect you to come back and live in that temple Nosedive; while you are connected to it your obligation is to Sunset Valley not just the tree of life.”
“They were told that I will not just live there but in Sunset Valley and maintain the tree from my home,” Dive said. “And they will not piss me off as the priest you scared off bore witness to the swiftness of me pulling my dagger.”
“I don’t agree with it, nor do I trust them. You are an unchained Dove, they should have no say or influence on you. Pulling a dagger will not make the point as clear as slitting their throats. They will try to control and influence you, priests tend to do that. The Doves only put up with their religion because it is tied to your house, no other reason.”
Dive raised a brow. “You’re really that on edge about them, fine would it help if Tensu comes with me?”
“They rub my feathers the wrong way, and yes if you insist on going back there bring Tensu with you.”
“Okay,” Dive smiled at being able to bring his friend to see the Tree of Life. “When will we go see my estate?”
“We will be going at the end of the week. You and Tensu will still have to do areas of interest reports and visit historical sites for the rest of this week.”
“Okay,” Dive turned away from Rowain and sat down in his chair.
Rowain looked at Tensu. “You better keep his back when and if he returns there, Tensu.”
Tensu nodded as he looked at Rowain. “I will.”
“Good, and if there is something you can not handle let me know so I can deal with it.”
“Yes, headmaster,” Tensu replied.
Rowain nodded and walked away from them.
Dive leaned to Tensu and whispered. “We will head to the Tree of Life tonight after he goes off to bed,”
Tensu shook his head. “No, not safe for us to do that, Dive, let’s wait till morning and go to the Tree of Life,”
“You use to always like sneaking out.”
“Yes and remember what sort of punishment we got for it and how far you had been pushed, Rowain said we could go as long as I’m with you, so it can wait until morning.”
Dive leaned back in his chair. He had been pushed during the punishment and what he ended up doing during it, a secondary event would probably not be a good thing as Lord Collins was not there to send the spirit back to the valley. “Fine, I’ll wait till morning.”
Tensu smiled, relieved that he didn’t have to inform Rowain about it as he didn’t want to sneak out and warn him about it. “Good, we should head for our room and get our reports finalized, even though we told it to Rowain orally and he did return our papers to us. I’m sure he’ll want them to be properly done for the teachers at Raven’s Court as I’m sure he’s going to tell us to hand them to our teachers when we get back.”
“He really is a tyrant isn’t he?”
“No worse than Headmaster Nazan who has been teaching him.”
“I think he needs to get laid,”
“Dive!” Tensu replied, shocked that he said something like that.
“Well, its what I heard some of the older students say about him, that Nazan needs to get laid to get that stick that is stuck up his butt out,” Dive said.
“I think he has taken a serious liking to the hen you saved from the Ancients,” Tensu replied, as they headed up the stairs towards their chamber.
“Isn’t the age difference weird?”
Tensu shrugged., “Not really, you’ll live to be about 200, I’ll live to be about 1200, Nazan is a Raptrin and Raptrins and Saurians live a healthy 600 years.”
“So having relations with young hens is okay in Dove society?” asked Dive.
“Depends on the circumstances, race plays a big role in what is socially acceptable. But when there is a significant age gap to when the younger has yet to reach maturity for their race it needs to be consensual. Forced mating is against Dove law, though in space the exception is the pleasure districts.”
“So how old are you, Tensu, I mean honestly even though you look only a couple years older then me?”
“I will be 63 in the new year, though most of my life till the last decade at Raven’s Court, I’ve been stuck in Silver Valley up in the mountains.”
“Do you think I’ll ever see your adopted home?”
“Maybe one day,” Tensu replied, as he opened the door to their chamber.
“So when do Drak normally start maturing?”
“We start in our 70′s and finish in our 130′s from what I understand.”
Dive nodded he was slightly curious if Tensu would be more male or female when he was older, he’d have to wait and see. He looked at the two bathrooms that was within the chamber, he was relieved that there was two bathrooms. “I’m going to get cleaned up and get ready for bed before I start working on my report,”
Tensu nodded as he headed for the desk and got out his papers to start working on it. He saw Dive walk out of his room in a bathrobe before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind him. He pulled out clean paper to write his report on. He wondered if he should take on his female side so he could be Dive’s mate as he did like him a lot but he knew he might not have Dive as his mate.
It was about thirty minutes later, Dive poked his head from the bathroom. “Tensu, I hate to ask this of you, but could you help me apply this salve on my back. Rowain left this in my room and told me to make sure that I apply it after I finished washing my back down and I’m not able to reach back there.”
Tensu smiled as he stood up and headed towards Dive’s bathroom, after he washed his hands to make sure no germs could infect the tattoo and cause Dive more pain, he started to put the salve onto the tattoo.
“Does it look red or inflamed, Tensu?” asked Dive.
“No, so far it looks to be healing rather well, some molting but otherwise good.”
“Good, though I do not know if molting is a good thing. I never had a tattoo before, so I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,”
“Molting is a normal part of the process.”
“Okay, that’s a relief to know,” Dive said, as he looked at Tensu as he wrapped the wrap around Dive’s chest to make sure that the salve would be absorbed into his feathers and not rubbed off onto the bed sheets.
“You know despite everything you’ve been quite lucky Dive, and you have a knack for 6th sight.” Tensu said as he finished wrapping Dive up.
“You mean a 6th sense?” Dive asked knowing his brother and father always joked about it.
“No 6th sight, a 6th sense is more of when you feel something is about to happen, 6th sight is where you can look and see what is about to happen. Lola and Nazan have it as well but they also have 6th touch which allows them to alter events before they happen, while they can not really assign a fate to a Dove they can make a set of events or alter the fates of those who have one in order to influences a Dove or other events. Nazan has been using my skill with 6th sight to make sure that all the events he has set have the effect he wants. He’s placing the future of the doves on Rowain’s shoulders. I think Rowain will be a good Black Dove.”
Dive looked at Tensu. “For some reason, I doubt he’ll be Black Dove, something will happen before Rowain attains that status,”
“But right now every thing leads up to him being Black Dove.”
“So is he going to be or does Nazan not want him to be the Black Dove?” Dive asked.
“Well right now as it stands both Rowain and Lola are heirs, Lola is part Suscan while Rowain is pure Raptrin. The Doves would prefer pure Raptrin, who knows what a Suscan half breed of a McDove will do.”
“Lola might bring more people to the Doves with her ties to the merchants,” Dive replied. “The Doves do need to bring in more people.”
“How do you know?” Tensu asked.
“Lola told me something about the Doves that scares her and I told her to tell me so her fears are shared. She’s scared that the more Doves die, the genetic pool of their ranks will become more muddled up with distant cousins and start causing some serious birth defects,”
“It’s already happening, Nazan has made no secret of the fact that something needs to be done or the Doves will not last another generation or so. Right now you’re the highest ranked new blood in the Doves, most new blood comes via the trade ranks and most never marry the upper two classes.”
“Most don’t want to be in the upper class by how they reacted to my mere presence in the combat room when I was first enrolled here,” Dive replied. “They were scared stiff.”
“Well you give off the same sense as a McDove or a MacDove, even council rank are edgy with you but not to the same level as trade ranks.”
“Are they really that edgy around me? I never notice how they act around me,” Dive said.
“They are, they just hide it well. You put them on edge as much as Lola does, you are an unknown factor that can do unpredictable things. After all with that mark on your back have you ever considered who would be Black Dove if either Lola or Rowain were to?”
Dive looked at him. “I would become the next Black Dove then,”
“Yep, which would explain why Rowain kicked the priest away from you and he wants to keep those who would meddle here in Sunset Valley from finding out.”
“You mean like those priests from the tree of life?”
“They are a factor; I mean it would be a good thing for their religion if a Flashblade were to lead the Doves.”
Dive laughed as he headed for the living room. “I doubt it would boost their religion any higher.”
“It would bring more people to the Tree knowing that Lord Flashblade is now the big bad Black Dove, that role will attract people here in hopes to gain your favor when they come before you.” Tensu replied.
Dive shuddered. “Never thought they’d use it like that,”
“People will do what ever it takes to get what they want, very few will do what needs to be done weather they want to or not.”
“Oh,” as Dive sat down on the couch and leaned back only to sit up. He glanced at the couch’s back. “For the time being I have to lean forth, till my tattoo heals up. Ugh, sleeping is going to be a bloody pain in the tailfeathers,”
“Why?”
“I sleep on my back,” Dive replied.
“Well you will have to sleep on your side or front.”
“True, I may sleep on the couch to learn how to stay on my side,”
“And facing the back since your back cannot handle the pressure for the time being,” Tensu replied, as he went to Dive’s room to get the pillow and a sheet from the bed and helped Dive make the couch into a bed.
It was not too long after they got the couch prepared, did they finish their homework for Rowain and started to turn out the lights in the living room. Tensu did tell Dive to wake him if he woke in the middle of the night so he could help him reapply the salve to his back.
The night past without much trouble for Dive and Tensu, Dive only had to get Tensu to apply the salve once when he had leaned back on his back for too long before waking from the pain. Dive yawned and stretched from where he had been sleeping, the sun was almost up, he’d have slept more but he’d probably hurt his back again. He got up and went to the door, peeked out using the peephole seeing a tray of sitting next to the door. He opened the door with his left hand as his right held his dagger if anyone tried to get him. But as he looked no one was there in the hallway. He grabbed the tray and pushed the cart into the room. He closed the door and lifted the big thermos to find a hot cider drink as he looked at the rest of the three plates. Breakfast for them, he wondered why it arrived at that hour when he recalled that Rowain told them that they’ll be awakened when the sun rose for more exploration of the city. This time he was going to show Tensu the Tree of Life.
He headed for Tensu’s chamber and softly knocked before entering to find him sitting on his bed finishing tying his boots. “You up, already, Dive?”
“Yeah, couldn’t sleep anymore.” Dive replied. “We got some food in the living room.”
“Let me check it for any poisons before we eat, while not common in Dove territory, this territory has not had its regent in a very long time.”
Dive nodded as they both headed for the living room as Dive sat down on the couch watching Tensu. Tensu took out a small kit testing a bit of each food before testing it himself. The food was safe though he had to take into account yesterday’s events so testing was necessary now.
“We probably wouldn’t have to contend with this, if I didn’t drink the sap,” Dive said.
Tensu nodded. “That is the case but what is done is done. Though the only people who would benefit from killing you are those who want the Doves to fall,”
Dive gave Tensu a puzzled look, “Who would want the Doves to fall?”
“A few of the other smaller galactic empires, even though we are located within the rims worlds the Doves hold as much sway as the major empires. If we are to fall it will cause instability and territory wars.”
“Which could be bad for Puckworld?” asked Dive.
Tensu nodded. “Very bad, it would basically destroy what your people have and the Doves.”
“I try to behave but I still messed up causing trouble.”
“It could be worse, you just need to bare with it and be careful. There will come a point where you will be able to handle things like this.”
“Yeah,” Dive replied, as he took his plate and ate what was on his plate.
By the time, both finished their meal, the door leading to Rowain’s room opened up revealing him finishing buttoning his shirt as he came out.
“Good you two are up and ready, are you two prepared to continue your studies of the town?”
“Yes, we were just about to start on our studies of the town,” Dive said. “Where do you want us to meet you at twilight?”
“You will meet me at the concert hall for a Dove historical play an hour before twilight.”
“Okay,” Dive replied, as he grabbed what looked like an apple and his book bag and headed for the door with Tensu behind him.
“Tensu!” Rowain barked. Tensu stopped and looked at him. “Keep his back,”
Tensu nodded before following Dive out of the room.
~~~~~~~~

Hours went by, Dive showed him what he seen and Tensu did the same. Dive stood in front of the path that he had taken to the Tree of Life. He led Tensu through the path to where the Tree was located at. Tensu knew this was one of the sacred places that the Doves considered special.
“What ever happens we ditch the priest as quickly as possible, we want to explore without them sticking their beaks into it.”
Tensu nodded as they approached the Tree itself. Dive smiled as he spoke about what the sap looked like and then how it tasted. Tensu remarked about that no one but a Flashblade could drink the sap without being killed, the Tree would not even permit it.
Dive looked at Tensu. “I wonder if it knew the person drinking its sap is innocent of any plots against the Lord of this land, they’ll let live?”

Tensu shrugged. “I don’t know, the Tree might not like that its sap being drank by anyone but the Lord of the lands,”
“It still seems odd, why only my line?”
“It’s called a pact, your family either has a very strong and ancient ties with it or were born from it.”
“You can’t be formed from the tree can you?”
“The tree dictates the stability of life on this world, it would need avatars that fit in, in order to observe. It would also explain why the sap does not harm your line, because your blood may very well be just as dangerous.”
“I never thought about it. That might be true, that my blood is dangerous,” Dive replied.
“You never know, the last person who would have really known is Asp Flashblade.”
“Maybe,” Dive said, as he looked at the tree. “I wish you could taste the sap, it tastes like sweet water which freaked out the priest when I did it. He was basically begging the tree to spare me,”
Tensu looked around and saw a few of the priests wandering around the edges, like they wanted to approach but dared not to without permission from the Tree’s Lord. “Looks like the priests are wishing to approach but dare not to.”
Dive glanced behind his shoulder and saw them. “Rowain must have scared the other priest pretty bad for them to be this scared, they were surrounding me the last time, like they couldn’t believe that I was a true Flashblade,”
“Well, they can keep their distance, you don’t need them trying to muddle with your life right now. For now our task is our school assignments.”
“Right,” Dive walked over to one of the benches and sat down on it as he pulled out his notebook and started to write something down in it. He looked up at Tensu and patted the bench next to him. “Time is wasting if you are going to stand there.”
Tensu nodded as he sat down and started to write his impression of the area down. The priests watched for a while before going back to their duties, there was no way to get close to them and all they were doing seemed to be school work. Tensu took note of when the last of them stopped really paying attention to them. He got up as if to stretch his legs a bit and began to inspect around the roots of the tree.
“Are your legs falling asleep already?”
Tensu shook his head. “I’m going to take a peeks at the roots behind the tree, opposite of the shrine.”
Dive watched for the priests before he got up and followed Tensu. Dive looked at the roots as he followed Tensu and started to notice something odd. “There is a tunnel under them isn’t there?”
Tensu nodded. “I’m trying to see if there is a way in. I thought it to be a sink hole at first.”
Dive looked around and found what looked like stairs. He turned to look at Tensu. “I found stairs,”
Tensu moved over to him and looked to see stairs. “They must have had a chamber down there before the Tree was planted here,”
“Maybe, lets find out,” Dive whispered, as he slipped under the roots onto the stairs below. He stood on them and bounced to see if they could hold his weight. “They’re holding, come on before the priests try to stop us.”
Tensu nodded and followed Dive, though the further down they went the less light there was, “Did you remember to pack a flashlight?”
Dive pulled his pack off and pulled out a flashlight and turned it on as they continued to walk the stairs till they reached another set of stairs leading up.
Tensu glanced around as they walked; his nose was picking up on a familiar smell. “Looks like it lead to catacombs. Though the dead are not usually interesting some times the catacombs themselves are.”
Dive looked at him. “Then, we should go further on and examine the catacombs, I never seen any before,”
Tensu nodded and let Dive lead in order to explore the catacombs for it seemed to be filled with deceased priests from the ages gone by. Nosedive on the only hand seemed to be intrigued with it. “Why did they bury them here? Why not just burn their remains?”
“As a corpse decays it provides nutrients to the soil, so for the tree of life they are like food. Though I’m sure they have a religious spin on it.”
“Most likely,” Dive replied, as he went to look at one of the remains.
“Don’t get close to any of the fresher ones down here; they can let off some nasty gasses.”
“The one over here is just bones, the further we go the more it is just bones or bones starting to go to dust.”
“Means we are getting to an older section of the catacombs, though the older sections seem to be better built, we went from dirt to stone floor over the past hour.”
“We’ve been down here over an hour already? Won’t the priests get suspicious?”
“Even if they do, it seems they only come here to bury their dead.”
Dive nodded as they continued to look at the remains and jotted down what era that they had passed in. Dive was totally amazed by how many priests were buried there.
“How far back do you think the oldest one here is?”
“I’m willing to bet since this temple was founded. Shine the light up on the pillars and walls, I think we are starting to get to something interesting.”
Dive shone the flash like away from the remains and up onto the walls and pillars, at first it looked like just designs but it looked familiar. He stared at them a bit longer and his eyes went wide, it was writing and it was a Dove language.
“How long have you been seeing this Tensu? And how much more do you see that I don’t?”
“I’ve been noticing it since we hit stone floors but it’s only now become more then just names and dates of priests. As for what I see my eyes work best with minimal light. So I see everything rather clearly.”
“So what does the script say?” asked Dive.
“Well the one your flashlight has illuminated is from the time of the Vendetta. The priest below is praised for sacrificing all prisoners of war from the DuCaine side to the tree in hopes of the tree choosing a new Flashblade lord.”
“But the tree didn’t, as Asp’s and her heir had died before it started from what I recall of the lessons from class.” Dive stated.
Tensu nodded as he looked over at him. “Asp died without an heir and the Dove Flashblades went extinct or so they thought as Asp lashed out with a huge fight against the Flashblades in a last battle which basically killed most of the outside Flashblades and killed her as well.”
“So even the Doves are not sure what happened with her?”
“No but we may actually find out. Even Dove history still has some mysteries no matter how much we try to record things.” Tensu said as they started examining the walls and pillars more closely.
It was not long before Dive asked Tensu to come to his side so he could be able to decipher what was written on some parchment that he found and uncurled very carefully. Tensu looked at it and then looked at Dive. “It’s a message that Asp left for a friend of hers,”
“What does it say?”
“It says that the chosen one will come and claim her sword which will reveal his status as her heir.” Tensu spoke, as he read on. “But from what everyone knows, Asp’s sword vanished a week before she went into the final battle with the outsider Flashblade.”
“Alright and what’s it doing in a tomb? Wouldn’t it be left where it could be found?”
“Depends, Asp was known to be able to see possible futures. Maybe it was to be found here. The only way to know would have been to ask, but we can not.”
“As she’s gone and buried,” Dive stated, as he grabbed a bag and placed it gently within the bag before placing it within his back pack. “I think we better get back to Rowain as I want his opinion of the letter.”
“He might state it is fake,” Tensu replied.
“I doubt he will,” Dive said, as they started to head back to the surface with their find in tow.
Tensu stopped as they neared the edge where the finished tombs stopped and the rough dirt ones started. “You know, Dive. I have a feeling that we should go back and keep looking. It’s quite a nagging feeling like we may have missed something.”
Dive looked back at him. “Are you sure we should go back?”
Tensu nodded. “We should.”
Dive nodded, as he turned back and headed back down the tunnel.
Tensu dug a camera out of his backpack and an extra flashlight. “Let’s catalog the walls and pillars as we go. I’m not sure Rowain even knows about this place.”
Dive nodded, as he took hold of the camera and started to take photos of the walls as Tensu started to write down what he saw. It was several hours before they took a break and nibbled on some fruit that they brought with them. “So what do you think is here that is important?”
“I’m not sure, but have you noticed that every where we have gone in this section, not the dirt part we came here from but the catacombs made with stone that they seemed to have stopped using them after the last priest who had served under Asp had died. After that all the priests have been buried in the dirt and root caverns.”
Dive looked at the catacombs. “I think you are right. I think they stopped using the stones and rushed to bury them instead of taking the time to bury them like the previous priests were.”
“Or there was a change in how they fallowed their beliefs. The problem with religion is it tends to change over differences in opinions, if you are going to have to deal with them we may as well see if we can find the base of their beliefs.”
Dive nodded. “We need to find the basis of their belief,”
Tensu made a nod. “You know what we have yet to come across, Dive?”
“What? Haven’t we seen yet?”
“Why are there no Flashblades’ buried here?”
Dive blinked a bit surprised by the question. “I assumed because they would have been buried on the estate.”
“But if they are avatars of the tree then why not go back to it?”
“That’s another loaded question Tensu, we won’t find an answer to that till we find and answer to the first question.”
“In that case let’s go deeper.”
“How deep are we going to go?”
“As deep as possible, you can’t fight what you don’t know.”
Dive nodded as they packed away their leftovers so not to leave a mess and continued to catalog what they saw as they went deeper into the catacombs. It was another hour later they came to a stop in front of a mural surrounded in a script even Tensu could not read. The mural portrayed two boys on what seemed to be plains, one boy was under what looked like the tree of life and the other covered in blood holding one of the trees branches. Surrounding them was a fire bird in the mountains and a thunder bird in the sky and much to Dive’s shock a Seabird backed by the waves. The sea bird would not have been such a shock if it was not for the fact that he had seen it before. It was Lola’s mother’s emblem. Dive turned to look at Tensu. “Why is a thunder bird hovering closer to the boys on the plains then the Seabird?”
“I am unsure about that, Dive,” Tensu replied. He scratched the back of his head with his claw. “Maybe we should take what we have back to Rowain and ask him about it?”
“Maybe, I should also ask him about the Seabird emblem, maybe there are answers there as well.”
“True, though this seems to portray the four elements, earth, air, fire and water. Most of them are used in regards to magic then to history.”
Dive looked at the mural again. “Can you ready any of the text?”
Tensu shook his head. “This text is old, older then the Doves. I recognize it from my studies but not read it. The writing is from a time before the great houses, before the Doves came to be. It’s from what is referred to as the lost millennia. No one really knows except from fragments like this.”
“Let’s photograph it and go find Rowain,” Dive replied. This time he really wanted Rowain to see what they found.
“I agree, this is beyond me as well, but if we had gone back sooner we probably would have missed it.”
Dive nodded and Tensu took a few pictures of it before packing up and heading back to the surface.
Dive checked his wrist to find Rowain’s dot moving in the direction of the Blood Forest. “Rowain is heading our way. Let’s meet him away from the Blood Forest.”
Tensu nodded as they hurried out of the temple and raced from the Blood Forest till they were at least two blocks away from the Forest, it was then did they realize how dark it was outside. Tensu looked at Dive. “I think we were in there a lot longer than we thought, Dive, its night and past our curfew.”
“Ah man we are in trouble again; we were supposed to meet Rowain an hour before sunset.”
“Yeah, but we really couldn’t tell time where we were.”
Rowain pulled up with a frown on his face. “Where were you?”
Dive looked at him as he pulled off his backpack and pulled out the scroll he found. “We found the catacombs underneath the Tree of Life and this is what we found along with other stuff. Can you decipher what it is?”
Rowain raised his glasses as he looked at the scroll and allowed his eyes to scan over it. He looked up at Dive. “Where exactly did you find it at?”
“In the catacombs below the tree of life, the part that was built in stone not just hollowed out ground. Tensu and I, also took a bunch of pictures to catalog but even Tensu had a hard time translating.”
Rowain nodded. “The translators at Raven’s Court might be able to translate what was giving you two a hard time.”
Tensu asked. “How old is that scroll, Rowain?”
“The writing looks authentic to the time period, but it is uncertain if it is fake or propaganda. It is common knowledge that Asp’s sword was lost during the conflict. I’d rather trust the land then a prediction like this.” Rowain replied.
“So you think it could be a fake?”
“I think it might be propaganda, the sort that can be very dangerous because someone false can use it as part of a claim with a fake sword.”
Dive shook his head. “I don’t think so, if the translators can read it and figure out what the scroll says, it might have a clue to the whereabouts of her sword.”
Tensu looked at Dive. “Do you think the scroll has a clue to the whereabouts of her sword?”
“Most likely, but I’m only guessing because I don’t know the written language,” Dive replied.
Rowain looked over at Dive. “Dive, I can read it,”
“You sure there isn’t anything else?”
“I’m positive Nosedive; there are no clues onto where the sword is which is why I think it is propaganda.”
“What was it doing in a tomb then?”
“Not sure, but those catacombs only contain the bodies of past priests, Flashblade have never been buried there.”
Tensu glanced about the area as he spotted some of the priests. “Rowain, we should take this back to the hotel.”
Rowain nodded catching sight of what Tensu saw. “Right, better head for the hotel now, I’ll watch your back.”
Tensu nodded as did Dive as they both started to run for the hotel.
By the time they got back to the hotel, both boys were breathing hard as they sat on the steps waiting for Rowain to pull up so they could go up to their room. It didn’t take long for him to arrive and herded both boys into the hotel and to their room. Once within the room, Rowain looked at them both. “The pictures you took,”
Dive and Tensu handed over their cameras for Rowain to load onto his portable to scan through the images. After they were loaded, he gestured for the two to sit beside him as they went through them.
“Most of it is known history room what I can tell but told from their perspective.” Rowain said as he flipped though then stopped as the writing had changed from Dove to something else. “This is interesting. Dove translators still have a hard time with this one.”
“Oh? You recognize it?”
“Yeah, Suscans still use it in highly formal contracts, usually between fleet commanders.”
“How do you know that?” Dive asked surprised that Rowain knew what it was.
“From training under Nazan and his dealing with Lola’s mother,”
“So what does it say?” asked Tensu.
“To be honest I only can read a few words, you’d need Lola or Catherine to translate this, or Nazan.”
“Well, it will be a while before we even get back to Keltor,” Tensu stated.
“This sucks!” Dive replied and then he said a word that made Rowain look twice at him. “Wha?”
Rowain spoke, “Dive, do you know any old tongues of the past?”
Dive shrugged. “Not that I’m aware of, why?”
“Dive, the word you said meant by the bloody sword of Asp and that’s a term only a Dove Flashblade would use to cuss by,” Rowain replied.
Dive looked at him. “Really, by the bloody sword of Asp is a cuss term?”
Rowain nodded. “It meant the person the cuss was directed at would feel the sting of her blade very soon.”
Dive shrugged. “I must have picked it up while listening to the tree and the valley.”
Rowain nodded as he knew that the tree and valley must be really trying to get Dive up to speed on all the tongues used there. “Well, I have food here for you two. Eat up and head off to bed. Tomorrow, we will be going to a museum here. We will leave here at 7am.”
Tensu and Dive nodded as they rushed for the two plates and headed off to their room, while Rowain looked at the scroll again. ‘Could it be him? That Dive is the chosen heir to Asp?’ as he read it over again as this was not dated after the war of the Flashblade houses but in the later half of the war and that the sword vanished from there by the heir of Asp – a blond haired duck. Rowain knew this scroll revealed the truth about what Dive was going to become. He rolled it up and went to the video phone. “Lola, I have a scroll you need to read. Get up here ASAP.”
Lola looked at him. “Why?”
“This is a scroll that could lead us to Asp Flashblade’s sword.”
“I’m on my way,” Lola replied as the screen went dark fast.
“Now to wait for her to get here,” Rowain whispered.
He sat down and looked at the parchment gain. It wasn’t what was written that had made him think it was a clue, it at first glance it would be used as a claim or propaganda. It was the tense used in it which allowed certain words to have double meanings. Reading it regularly read:
‘My young friend, in this time of troubles my heir will come bearing my blade. Do not fret for he will be guided by the turbulence of our time.’ but if you switch to the double meanings it read like; ‘My little one, in this time of conflict my heir will come holding my blade. Do not concern for he will be brought by the tempest of our time.’
As much as he did not care for the history of that time the Flashblade house has taken a Tempest captive and released him after a private conversation with Asp. He had also returned a day later but no one was sure why. Most theorized he had stolen Asp’s sword and it had been lost ever since. So far the parchment was the only clue to the events of that day.
Rowain sat in the chair and hoped that what everyone had assumed was true that this Tempest had stolen her sword but in a way, he figured that Asp probably gave the Tempest her sword to hide away till her heir came for it and the Tempest could give it to her heir. ‘Lola can probably figure out what this scroll means.’
He got up and started to pace the room. ‘Although, the name tempest did ring a bell to him as there was a Tempest in the L’Orange house but it was not sure if this Tempest was that drake. It would make sense since the drake was not seen since his encounter with Lady Asp.’
He needed Lola to check the historical records, he knew the Dove ones but he was certain the Seabirds had more information. There was also the matter of the mural, though not directly related to the note it was something out of place. Even the Doves had very little logged about the lost millennia other then it had been founded in the last decades of it.
Rowain stepped onto the balcony and watched the people who worked at night heading to work. He hoped that Lola would get there as fast as she can.
~~~~~~~~~~~
He wasn’t sure when he had fallen asleep but it was in the early hours of the morning the knock came at the door. “Rowain, are you up? I don’t have much time so can you let me in?”
He opened the door after checking the peephole to be sure it was her. “About time you arrived. The pictures and the scroll are over here.”
Lola followed him to the table and looked at the scroll. By her eyes, she knew it was old.
“You are better at this stuff then I am, what can you get from all this?”
Lola looked them over carefully. “For the parchment you probably got exactly what I’m getting but the chain of events does not match up. Tempest died in a temporal storm after he was first released by Asp. The second encounter while logged by our people does not match with outside events. It would only make sense if Tempest is not dead but lost. Even so there is no clue to where or when he would show up.”
“So you think it is more or less propaganda then?”
“No, but not enough information. Considering where it was found and its age it was probably given to the priests as a means of giving them hope in a situation where her line would end. There must be truth to it but we can not know unless we were there.”
Rowain nodded. “So what about the mural, I know you can read it and I’m leery of showing it our people’s translators.”
“Good call, this mural is a story from what you call the lost millennia. The major ruling houses from the time after are based on this. The lord of fire and the mountains, L’Avalanche better known as L’Orange in later times. The Thunderchild, who challenged magic with Science became the Darkstar-Nova. Kana del mer, the one who tamed the fire lords anger and brought the curse of waves upon the Suscan people is the founder of Seabird. Like the waves we wander no one place shall we be contained for to be still is death. As for the center the image is more unique, traditional both boys stand beside the tree representing the birth of a new era guided by the other three houses. The two boys are the Sangin Twins born of the tree of life. The first Flashblades if you will.”
“So why is this one different?”
“This mural tells the tale that as new life began to grow and flourish on the world after being scorched by the fire lord; the tree demanded a price in return for all the life given, that every year a life be returned to it. The boy in red bargained with the tree that he will maintain the balance of life and death if the tree allowed his brother to live in peace without the burden. The tree agreed and time past both brothers lived their lives the white one not knowing what the red on had done. Then one day the white boy found the red boy covered in blood and a whole village slain. Horrified the white boy only saw a monster in his twin brother and the red boy seeing his twin reaction left never to be near his brother again for fear of causing him more harm.”
“Does it say anything else?” Rowain asked as he digested the information.
Lola shook her head. “No, but it does explain a lot, it’s a bit of a different story but it shows why our Flashblades did not want anything to do with the outside ones and why the outside ones thought ours as monsters.”
Rowain nodded. “If I didn’t know the history, I would be scared myself.” He glanced at Dive’s room. “Have you seen Wildwing and if he gone to see Kaladan yet?”
Lola nodded. “He has visited couple times but he keeps it very brief before heading off, saying something about a game. Nazan is pacing outside the ritual room waiting for Summer and Tristan to be finished so he can have his mate back by his side again.”
Rowain smiled as he shook his head. “Is he in love or is he just lusting after her?”
“A bit of both, strangely father has spoken no objection even though I get the feeling the council was not pleased with his outing. I mean he’s the Black Dove, why can’t he go where he wants, though even I’m not sure what he does on those.”
Rowain chuckled. “They want him to remain in one location, they did it with the previous Black Dove. They refused to let him wander lest someone from the other lands kill him, even though it would be impossible as he was a pretty good fighter himself.”
“True, but it also gave him an isolationist mindset and father seems to have a bit of it too. The Dove can’t survive by being closed off and I know father knows it and ignored it.”
Rowain shook his head. “I know your father is bound tight by tradition but he’s dealing with the old school lords and marks. Change is an uphill battle one that he may not win but I might. Nazan is a good teacher and a contrast to your father; if he truly didn’t want change then he’d have kept me in Dublin and raised me himself instead of having me raised by the Crimson.”
“Indeed, my dad would have taken you and raised you himself, which would have freed me to do as I please as in living in space with my mom’s family,” Lola stated.
“I know but you are both his and her child, you have to be able to live in either culture. The chains of the Dove are not bad as long as you know how to bend the rules.”
Lola looked at him as she placed her hands on her hips. “And you are going to show me how to do that?”
Rowain smirked. “If you want to learn how to bend the Dove rules, that is?”
“Okay, I’ll learn on one condition?”
“That would be?”
“You serve three months on my mom’s sister’s daughter’s ship and learn how to be a Suscan,”
“Sounds fair, it will be good to learn how a Suscan thinks, Nazan won’t be against it, I’m sure.”
“My dad will like it as it will expand your horizon of the galaxies,” Lola replied, with an evil look on her face. “I’m going to love getting you drunk.”
“No thank you, I do not drink,” Rowain stated.
“You will live as a Suscan, which means you have to break that Dove rule.”
Rowain shook his head. “I will not drink,”
Lola looked at him. “You will, you will. Anyways, I need to get going. Do you want me to take this with me to Keltor and have the school translators see if they can translate it?”
“No, keep them archived in either Seabird or McDove vaults, right now it is the wrong time for that sort of data to get out.”
Lola nodded. “I’ll keep it safe, and I will see you around, try to keep those two out of trouble and avoid any more landmines like this?”
“I’ll do what I can but you know it is easier said then done.”
“I know cousin.” Lola said as she took the digital documents and left the hotel room.
It was about two minutes later, Dive’s door opened as Dive emerged with his bathrobe on. “Was Lola here? I thought I heard her voice,”
“Yes, she was.” Rowain replied, as he got up from the table and headed for the kitchen grabbing the bowl of fruit they were going to have for breakfast and sat back down and picked up one of the fruit.
“I want to see my estate,” Dive spoke.
“Not today, Nosedive, I need to get some things prepared before we go.” Rowain replied.
“Why not go there now?” Dive asked.
“In time, Dive,” Rowain said.
Bang! Nosedive’s fist landed on the table as Dive growled. “I want to see my estate today, Rowain.”
Rowain turned to look at Dive. He stood up and locked eyes with Dive as his red eyes shone fiercely as he held his ground with the young Lord. “No, Dive, you need to see the museum first before you see your estate. I will not take you there now. You must wait for two days from now. I promise you, Dive, you will get to see your estate very soon.”
“You better, Rowain. I will not be kept waiting,” Nosedive growled, before he grabbed one of the fruit and started to eat it.
Rowain sighed, though Dive could act more mature at times, it was moments like this he could tell Dive’s age. Lola and him aged much slower then Avians so even though most would mistake him and Lola for early teens it has already been a few decades since they were born. “Dive, you know you will be seeing your lands soon. Why be so impatient with me?”
“Something doesn’t sit right, if the estate is a museum, it should have the answers right?”
Rowain shook his head, “You’d think that but you already stumbled upon a horrible truth even if you didn’t know what it was. It was in those catacombs, the reason that been the Doves did not know for why Flashblade fought Flashblade.”
“I did?” Dive asked, looking at him.
“That mural was a story of two brothers much like you and Wing, one valued life above all else while the other took on the responsibility of maintain balance of life and death. I think you can figure out the rest and who founded each side.”
“The one who valued life is the one who took over the flash plains and the other one became a Dove, correct?” Dive asked.
Rowain nodded. “After the one who valued life declared his brother a monster after witnessing him maintain the balance. Since one value life so much not to let things die the other became a grim reaper. That was all the mural explained, all I know was that reaper was one of the Dove founders but not what happened between the two events.”
“The event that the other brother saw the other one do, probably started the war between them and that Flashblade had to accept the hatred of his brother and live his life on his own,” Dive replied.
“That could be the case, which means you stand on a very delicate line with your brother. You need to learn not just the Dove history and Orithian but know the full Flashblade history or else there may be another rift like that one.”
Dive nodded. “I know.”
“So we need to go to the museum and you learn what you see at the museum,”
The sound of a door creaked open as Tensu came out of his room. “Morning,”
“Morning Tensu, normally I’d reprimand you for loosing track of time like that but you did good, that note was figurative instead of literal. Truth is also a type of sword, and you found part of it in those catacombs on the mural. For Dive to wield Asp’s sword is to know the same truth she did.” Rowain said, while passing him a plate of fruit. He didn’t mean to try to deceive Dive but it would make it easier on Dive since besides him and Lola and them no one else knew about it and in a way it seemed to be left there was if to draw the person who find it to the mural.
“I did? So the mural was a good find then?” Tensu asked, as he bit into one of the fruit.
“Yes,” Rowain replied, as he ate a piece of fruit himself.
“So are we going to have to compare notes with what we found to what is at the museum today?”
“That’s a good suggestion for an extra assignment, you two seems to be able to find things that may have been missed.”
Dive looked over at Tensu. “We do make a good team.”
“You both are good at getting each other into trouble.”
“Well, it can’t be helped sir, I let the webs of fate lead me and look what it did, we found out for fact that Dive is well, you know, he’s this land’s lost Lord,” Tensu stated. “If I didn’t, everyone would still wonder if we would ever find the lost Lord or Lady.”
Rowain looked at Tensu. He was right, they all were wondering if either of the two Flashblades would become the missing Dove Flashblade, he and Lola had discussed the possibility that both Flashblade brothers would not become a Dove, even though they would protect them, they may not declare their place with their people.
“Yes but at the same time was that a wise path to choose? What is the price of such a path? You need to consider what you do before you do it because if you don’t just because you can see it can cause a lot of trouble.”
Tensu sighed. “Fair enough, as to the question of was it wise? The answer is no. Yet you didn’t ask if it was necessary. Call it treason if you will Rowain but my loyalty is to Crimson before it will ever be to Black.”
Rowain raised a brow. “Does that mean you will serve my cousin as well as you serve Nazan?”
Tensu made a polite smile. “I will serve the Crimson till the end of my days such is the path I have chosen.”
Dive listened to their words carefully; it was times like this he could tell they were both older then they looked, though he was starting to get an understanding of the politics between Tensu and Rowain. “Is it true that everyone who knew about us, thought we would not decide to be a Dove or not?”
“It seemed best to assume as such, your line was not from his line why would you want to walk along side the Dove? Though right now I wonder if you and Wildwing are the same as the two back then, then it also stands to reason that one day the time may come where the base of the same rift will form.”
Dive shook his head. “If we are, then I’ll make sure we won’t. Nothing good can come from a misunderstanding like that, mom never lets dad go when he misunderstand her, she makes sure it’s sorted out then and there, so I would do the same for Wing.”
“May Morningstar hear your words and make it so if it does happen, Dive,” Rowain stated.
“Morningstar has nothing to do with it.” Dive replied. “It will be solely me. I will make sure that Wing will not make the same mistake that our ancestors did.”
“Good, I do not want to see the war that would come about if it happened again, for I would fear this time, both lines would be truly be lost,” Rowain said. He glanced at the clock. “The walk to the museum will take at least an hour to walk and it will take us past some different locations that will be interesting for you to look at.”
Both boys nodded and finished up their breakfast before heading off to their room to pack their backpacks so they had everything the needed to taking notes and logging what they saw.

Rowain went to his room and grabbed his own backpack to make sure that they have everything that they need to get into the museum. He stepped from his room to see them both standing there waiting for him to come out. “If you are ready to go, let’s go?”
“Lead the way Rowain,” Tensu said and they headed out of their suite to the lobby and out of the hotel.
They walked for another fifteen minutes before they saw a cemetery. Dive noticed that the gate was open. “Rowain, shouldn’t the gate be closed?”
Rowain looked at the gate. “It should be, the only time it should be open is when there is a burial taking place within the cemetery so the soul of the deceased can visit the living before leaving for wherever they are destined to go to. The gates will be closed an hour after the burial.”
Dive looked at him. “Do you think the family who is burying their loved one mind if we . . . uh . . . crash their funeral to pay respect to the deceased?”
“We can observe from a distance, the funerals depend on the class and how the person has passed on. While death is no stranger, the dead are to be respected. If you want to pay you respects I suggest going to the flower shop up ahead and buying two crimson roses, you’ll place them there after the family has finished paying their respects.”
Dive nodded and ran up the street to where he saw the flower shop. He caught his breath before opening the door and entering seeing a lot of flowers of many different colors and shapes. He looked at all the flowers but couldn’t find the roses he wanted. He was about to just get the closest color he could find.
The flower shop attendant noticed him wandering the aisles looking for something. She walked over and smiled. “Can I help you?”
Dive returned her smile. “Yes, I’m looking for crimson roses and I’m not really finding them out here.”
“No one orders that color of roses. No one has for a long, long time.” The girl said.
“Why not?” Dive asked.
“It is the rose that belongs to the Flashblade clan and they’re long gone,” the girl stated.
“Do you know where I could get a couple, they’re for an assignment.”
“You are not from the island, are you?”
Dive shook his head. “No, I’m from Keltor. My fellow student and I are doing a project on Flashblade history.” Dive half lied, he had learned his lesson with the priests to be careful.
“Well I have a couple in the back cooler, usually the Black Dove is the only one who requests them and they are for Asp’s grave. You are probably going to pay your respects to the last Flashblade.”
“Yeah, that is part of the plan for this assignment.”
“Wait here and I’ll get them wrapped for you.” The girl stated, as she headed for the back to get the roses.
Dive turned back to the flower display in the cooler. There were so many different shades of flowers. He wondered which ones was Tensu’s family roses color. The girl returned with something wrapped in black paper. “Will this be all?” she asked.
“Yes, how much do I owe you?” Dive asked, as he took hold of the flowers.
“Eight marks, they’re four marks each.”
Dive pulled out the Styl and counted out how many he needed for the roses and handed them to the girl with a smile.
The girl smiled. “Four Styl, since its two marks to the Styl,”
Dive smiled as he placed his bag back in his pocket and looked at the two roses. “Thank you and if the Black Dove gets irritated that there’s no roses here, just tell him to go to Raven’s Court and see me. He’ll know who I am.”
The girl nodded as she watched as Dive walked out of the store and down the street. She walked over to the video phone and dialed a number.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Dive, Tensu and Rowain watched the burial from several gravestones away as the family finished burying their loved one themselves before walking away from the grave itself. Dive started to stand up, when Rowain’s hand held him down. “Remain put, Dive. You need to wait till they leave fully before you go over to the grave. They may return sooner than you think.”
Dive knelt back down and waited till the family was gone from the cemetery, which was about ten minutes later. He glanced behind him. “Now can I?”
Rowain nodded, as Dive stood up with Tensu and headed over to the freshly covered grave. Dive had noticed the flowers at the grave; they had been left by each of the family members and from the different ones possibly friends. Dive read the name on the gravestone and saw the emblem being that of a trade rank Dove. He took out the two roses and placed them on the grave, he didn’t need Rowain to tell him what to say, the words were already there in this head.
“May strength and prosperity be with you on the next turn of the wheel, let not death stay your journey.” Dive said quietly before turning to Rowain. “I think I understand, but we should get going, thank you for indulging me.”
Rowain nodded as he led them out of the cemetery and headed up the street towards the museum. Tensu looked to Dive as they walked towards the museum; Dive had been rather quiet and not quite as cheery as he usually was. “Something finally snap in your mind?”
Dive shook his head. “Nothing snapped, it’s more of an understanding. The Dove Flashblades carried a lot of responsibility, maintaining balance means no exception regardless of your own feelings. I wonder if I can really walk this path.”
Tensu concentrated on the ropes that he usually saw around the Avians and Dive, he smiled. “I think you will do fine.”
“Maybe, for now I think I’ll take my time to really decide. I may have rushed too much.”
Rowain smiled, as he placed his hand on his shoulder. “We would never rush you to decide where you stand, Dive, we want you to come willingly not forcing yourself to be one of us.”
Dive nodded. “Thanks, I know part is already decided but it’s good that I can do it on my own terms, it will keep misunderstandings with Wing to a minimum.”
Rowain nodded. “When that day comes, he may not want you to go, then what shall you do?”
Dive walked on without replying for a few minutes before glancing back at him. “I will explain to him, that this is my choice and has always been my choice to be one of you. He will understand in time, but I will not leave him angry at me.”
“So you are going to ease him into it?”
“Something like that, I can also explain a lot without scaring him. Besides he can’t be mad at me for wanting to watch Lola’s back.”
Rowain nodded as he had seen how the Flashblade boys were when they were around her, both of them usually had her in between them when going anywhere. “I think in a way, your brother tends to be a protective as you are with Lola. There are times when I go past where you are usually at with Lola and when you three leave, you tend to have her in between you both, like bodyguards.”
“Yeah, I know even though I know she could kick both our tail feathers easily. I think we get it partly from our mom who had served her mom.”
“You are right and also wrong, it is your blood that is calling you to protect her,” Rowain replied. “The Flashblades are the ones who are always standing by the Black Dove or his heir, they know who it is regardless of how long they have been away from the side of the Black Dove, it is instinct.”
Dive spoke up. “But . . .,”
“No buts, I’m just curious as in why hasn’t Wildwing shown any tendencies towards coming to the Doves,” Rowain said.
Tensu spoke up. “Maybe he is the one that is not to be marked among us.”
“Are you sure?” Rowain asked.
Tensu nodded. “Dive is more Dove than his brother,”
“Oh, you’ve looked?”
“Not willingly, that was ordered.”
Dive raised a brow at Tensu. “Who ordered it?”
“Nazan’s, who else would order me to do such a thing? Wildwing would break if he was to live as a Dove, Dive is much like the founding Flashblade for our side, Wing is like the twin. So as it stands there is a clean slate, push things wrong and a rift will be caused again.”
“And the Flashblade line would be history,” Rowain stated. He noticed that the museum was coming closer. “Alright, we’re getting close.”
Dive looked around the area to see that there was a park across from the museum as was couple restaurants. A rumble was heard. Dive bit his lower bill, the long walk had gotten his stomach hungry for food since the fruit really didn’t do much. He glanced towards the restaurant that was there as the smell of food came in their direction.
“Get yourself something to go that is quick to eat; I can’t have you studying while distracted by your stomach.”
Dive headed over to the restaurant and looked at the menu for a breakfast sandwich but found none. He looked up at the waitress who was watching him. “Pardon me, but there are no breakfast sandwiches, I need something fast and portable.”
The waitress looked at him. “I’m sorry, but that’s all we have.”
Dive looked out to see Rowain standing there. Dive ordered a pancake, sausage links and scrambled eggs to go.
The waitress took the order to the kitchen as Dive headed to Rowain. “They don’t have anything portable beyond pancakes.”
“Did you order something that you can eat fast?”
“Yes, it is what I usually have in my breakfast sandwiches,” Dive replied.
It was another five minutes before his order came out to him. Dive quickly placed everything on the edge of the pancake and started to roll it up into a roll and while people were walking past him ate it. He finished it off and went to the trash to throw away his box when he overheard the table next to the exit about the pancake roll that they saw a kid eating outside that they would like to have that. He smiled as he headed out to join Rowain and Tensu.
“I keep forgetting avian metabolism is different from ours, your body burns more calories then our bodies so you need heavier foods then just fruit.”
“The other day, I didn’t want to say anything.” Dive replied.
Tensu looked at him. “Is that why you got ill last night?”
Rowain turned to look at Dive. “Did you get ill last night Dive?”
Dive nodded. “I had a bad headache and when I had my evening meal, I did get sick later. I did it over the balcony of our room,”
“You should have told me,” Rowain replied, as they headed towards the museum.
“I didn’t realize there was a difference.”
“There is quite a bit of differences, at Raven’s Court food prepared there is balanced to accommodate most who attend. For Raptrin our food is either high in protein or fruits and vegetables, starches are bad for us. Tensu’s race requires acidic type fruits and almost raw proteins. Avians like yourself need more starches to help keep your body temperature high because of the cold climate that your race has adapted to. If you don’t eat right you will make yourself sick.”
Dive looked at Rowain in shock, he had never though about what he ate could cause him problems. It never seemed important before. But then again Rowain had made a good point, the difference in race; he hadn’t considered that what he needed to eat was any different from what they ate. “I’m sorry, I’ll be more careful about that. I really didn’t know.”
Rowain smiled. “It’s alright you just need to be more careful, you need a healthy body and a healthy mind to be able to do what you want to do.”
“I’ll let you know if I get ill again,” Dive replied, as they entered the museum after Rowain paid for entry.
They went to the line to go through security. Dive turned to look at Rowain as he had the daggers which state that he’s a Flashblade on his person. “Rowain, my daggers,” Dive whispered. He was starting to get a bit panicked as if they found it on him, they ask him for his ID card which states his last name.
“Just relax Dive, Dove students are always expected to be armed, just don’t draw attention to them.”
Tensu placed his hand on Dive’s shoulder and whispered to him as Dive started to calm down as they approached the security guard.
The security guard looked at Rowain. “Education or leisure,”
Rowain took out his id and a folded document. “Mandatory History and Cultural Education, Silverclaw got himself into trouble with the Crimson, and the Blackblade boy,” Rowain said as he pointed to Dive. “Needs to be trained to the Black’s standard to serve under his daughter,”
The guard smirked. “I’ll keep an eye on the Silverclaw kid, though if the Black Dove wants the Blackblade child trained and educated for his daughter’s sake, I don’t think I need to worry about keeping an eye on him.”
Rowain smirked as well, as he placed his ID and document back into his pocket. “I’ll keep an eye on them both,”
The guard opened the gate and allowed them to go into the museum before he closed it for the couple behind them.
Dive looked at Rowain as he never really been in a museum that had connections to his family. “Rowain, where do we go first?”
“Well, there is the Flashblade section, general island history, Dove history, Suscan history and Saurian history wings, which one did you want to look at first?”
“Well, lets go for the general island history, then Saurian, Suscan, Dove and then Flashblade,” Dive said.
“Sounds good, we may only cover a wing per day, the history tends to be rather detailed in Dove museums,” Rowain said as he led them to the local history wing. “You two have ten hours to explore this wing and take notes, after we will be going for a meal and a play in the evening.”
“Yes, headmaster,” Tensu said as he went off to the right as Dive headed off to the left and started to look at everything.
Rowain sighed and strolled down the halls of the wing, he remembered back just after the slaughter at Raven’s Court. Nazan had believed that what he had needed was a change of pace. Rowain smiled that had been years ago, the boy he had been was almost like a lifeless shell, his only purpose before the slaughter had been to break his father’s chains on him and everyone else. Once the slaughter had happened, he had expected to be slain like the other Ringdoves. This place had been one of many turning points but it had been the first time he had felt his McDove blood come alive. This place was the home of much of the Dove spiritual traditions. A McDove ruled and carried the greatest of authority and responsibility, but even a ruler needed both one who can tend to the needs of the spirit and the other who could tend to keeping them well grounded it the day to day. He looked up at the mural in the center part of the wing. It had been a lesson he had never forgotten. No matter how much death roams among his people, life is precious. The mural was of the funeral of the last Flashblade. The feeling of loss not just of one of the founding lines but the Dove spiritual leader had hit the island hard. While most now a days would not feel it, as a child looking upon it was the feeling of great despair. The Black Dove had taken on the role to fill the gap but it would never be the same. The island still thrives in commerce and tourism yet there was an empty feeling one couldn’t quite place. Rowain turned his attention to Dive who was looking at another wall painting and something in him felt like the key to the soul of the island was in Dive. He knew the minute Dive stepped onto the island, it will revive itself to be what it once was when the Dove Flashblades still lived.
~~~~~~~~~~
Nazan was pacing out side of the doors leading to the ritual room. Tarisn was starting to show concern as it had been a lot longer than she had thought. She got up and pushed Nazan away from the doors.
Nazan blocked the door again. “He will let us know if he’s done, Tarisn,”
“I’m worried that he may have lost consciousness. The spell has been going for almost four days now, even for a Saurian that is taxing themselves to a breaking point!”
“Can you check without potentially harming Summer?”
“Fine, we’ll give him a few more hours, and then I’m going in because if he has lost consciousness then Summer is in just as much danger as him.”
They sat back down and waited for another four hours and the doors didn’t move or anything. Tarisn listened for the chants that Tristan would be doing as she slowly opened the door. What she saw forced the doors apart fast as she rushed to the two still forms lying on the bed of pillows. She quickly checked Tristan and Summer’s to find them both alive though very weak. She turned to look at Nazan as he slowly approached as he wanted to rush towards Summer but held himself back. “Nazan, take Tristan to Julius, he must have total skin contact with Kaladan or we will lose this Wisdom. Go!”
Nazan lifted Tristan into his arms and with another glance to Summer went running out of the chambers towards the room that held Kaladan and Julius in it.
Julius felt Tristan coming when the door was shoved open as Nazan entered with the unconscious Saurian in his arms. “Bed now!” as he flipped open the top covers leaving the bed sheet behind.
Nazan looked at Julius. “He needs to be touching her skin fully.”
Julius yanked up the bed sheet revealing Kaladan in her nightgown as Nazan laid Tristan in bed lying skin to skin next to Kaladan. “He’ll be out of it for hours, maybe days. If it wasn’t for the bond that is there, he might linger in a death-like state for months before fully recovering.”
“I’m worried about Summer, she was also unconscious.”
“Probably shock or fatigue, since they’re both still alive she should recover alright.”
“I want to be by her side,” Nazan replied.
“Tarisn is preventing you still?” Julius asked.

“Yes, says something about my Dove status will taint her and if complications arise, she’ll die because of the taint,” Nazan said, as he looked at Kala and Tristan.
Kala had moved in bed which got both of them jumping up ready to grab Tristan if needed, but looked shocked as she rolled over and wrapped her arm and leg around Tristan pulling him closer to her.
Nazan glanced over to Julius. “Is this normal?”
“For the bond yeah, it’s a level of trust the transcends most things including physical, spiritual and mental, it’s why when it’s not a physical injury the bond helps heal faster then they could on their own.”
“Is it the type of trust that you share with her or something far different?”
“It’s the same, though for Tristan as wisdom it is stronger.”
Nazan nodded silently. “So, he might awaken in a few days then?”
“Maybe, it might take a week or two, I’ll say min a week, max two weeks,”
“And Summer?”
“A day or two, if he, at least got to the slowing process for the ageing spell, Tarisn would be a better judge for that,”
“I should ask her,” Nazan said. “But she might not even want me close to Summer at this time,”
“Considering that you are Dove and Summer’s not as of yet, the innate magic that is in your blood, spit and cells could cause problems to heal Summer if there is need for a healing,” Julius stated.
“So right now I’m like the opposite of what those two have for Summer and me.”
“It is just the nature of Dove blood, though protective it can be cruel.”
“I guess I should just wait for Tarisn to come and let me know if I can see my mate,” Nazan said, as he sat down in the chair near to the bed, as Julius sat on the bed.
“Most likely,” Julius replied with a grin. “So do you think Rowain will be able to handle Raven’s Court?”
“I’m not sure, he is still young but he does have the potential.”
“Are you aware that with your mate, you’ll be away from Raven’s Court for long time as you are showing her off to your Rokfeather family members to let them know of the female you have taken as your wife and the controller of your house?”
Nazan nodded. “I’m well aware, between Cleo and Lola, he will manage.”
“What do you think they’ll do now that you have a young wife?”
“It is my ex, that I am concerned about,” Nazan replied. “When she learns, I have taken another and if Summer bore me daughters right from the start, who knows what she’ll do or send after her,”
“Sounds pretty bad, but isn’t that how it is in space?”
“Yeah, space is pretty nasty but the strong must survive in space, we can’t deal with weak people,” Nazan replied. “I just hope that Summer can meet all challengers head on and win,”
“Consider pulling through this her first challenge.”
Nazan nodded. “If she passes this, I can only hope that the rest of the challengers will be met with the same determination as she gave this,”
“Have some faith in your mate, Nazan. She’s risking everything for you,” Julius stated, as he placed his hand on his shoulder. “She must really love you a great deal to risk her life to be with you,”
“I think she’s really just lusting after me, we barely know each other really deep,” Nazan replied.
“I think she knows you enough to where she wants to be with you, no matter the cost to her. You may think she’s just lusting, but I see the look of love in her eyes and not many young girls like her have that look and actually do something about it. The only one who I saw take action like that is Kaladan as she pulled me to her and we ended up mating before she left the wastelands for here. I would have kept her there with myself buried deep within her if she didn’t have to contend with the promise to the now former Supreme Ancient,”
“You wanted Kala as your mate?” Nazan asked.
“Yes, I am willing to share her with who ever her mate is, if he is okay with me having part of her heart,” Julius replied. “But it would be selfish of me,”
“Why would it be selfish?”
“I’m someone who walks between life and death; it would not be fair to her since she would want children which I could not give.”
“I don’t see a problem with that, her other mate will most likely accept the children she would bare as his, even though you mated her as well.” Nazan stated. “I’m sure if she asks her mate to be if he’s willing to be first husband to her and let her have you as a second husband, he won’t mind, plus the fact that you are sterile might make him feel better knowing that her children will be his and his alone,”
“I couldn’t ask her to do that, share herself with us both,”
“Ask her, Julius, ask her to let you be her second husband,” Nazan replied. “You never know what she’ll say,”
Julius smiled. “I doubt it; I know she has already been matched to the young blonde’s older brother. Sometimes it’s best to trust a fate weaver like the Seabirds; normally they do not invest unless they are certain of the outcome. Besides I have looked in his mind and if I had made such a request I’d scare him off and could make that line even rarer.”
“Why don’t you test it and ask him if he’s willing to share his mate with another drake? If he says yes, but he worries that his children could be really the other mate’s children, let him know that the other drake is sterile and would not be able to grant her any offsprings like he could to her. See if he will be receptive to the thought,” Nazan said. “It can’t hurt to ask.”
Julius turned to look at Nazan. “Are you sure he might not mind sharing her with another?”
Nazan smiled. “If she mated you already, she knows what her future will be, even if she didn’t encourage you to place yourself within her, her future is with two mates,”
“And I’m one of those two mates, if he is willing to share her with me.” Julius whispered, as he glanced over at Kaladan and Tristan. “What about Tristan? Will she mate him and give him children of his own or will she stick with the two mates she has waiting for her?”
“That is up to them both on that, my friend,” Nazan replied with a grin on his face. “You will have your mate in Kala, if she agrees and if she is in love with you by how she mated you when she returned from her trip, she loves you,”
“You’re weaving fates again aren’t you?”
“Do you mind what is being woven?”
Julius shook his head and smiled. “No, I just hope it works out.”
Nazan smiled as he headed towards the door, opened it and looked down the corridor hoping for any news from Tarisn about his mate and if he could see her. Unfortunately instead of Tarisn he came beak to beak with Cleo who looked less then impressed which meant the paper work was piling up. He glanced back behind him. “Good luck in talking with the elder Flashblade boy, Julius and don’t worry, he probably will be okay with it.”
Julius nodded as he watched as Nazan headed out of the chamber with Cleo behind him rattling off a long string of you know better than to let things go like this, I won’t always be around to help you. Julius glanced at Kala and Tristan. He sighed as he knew it would be a long shot if her mate to be would accept him as co-mate to her.
“What’s wrong?” asked a voice coming from the door.
Julius turned to see a tall Suscan female standing there. It took him a moment to place her in his mind, her dark red hair streaked with grey and her brown feathers which made her yellow green eyes shine like gold. She wore a yellow coat with a blue top and grey pants and a purple sash around her waist and charcoal boots. “Lady Seabird, I was just lost in my own thoughts. You are looking well.”
“The old feather duster Rokfeather did me a favor, I had come to check up on him but I find you instead.”
“You had just missed him, he’s heading to the office right now with Cleo on his tailfeathers.” Julius said, as he pulled the chair out and offered it to her.

“Thank you,” Catherine sat down on the chair as she looked towards Kaladan and Tristan in bed. “So it is true, she is Virtue.”
“Yes, she is and she’s the original one too.” Julius stated. “And the one who I love,”
By the mild shock on her face, Julius realized that he may have done a wrong thing by admitting that fact to her.
“You do know she is betrothed to the elder Flashblade boy?” Catherine asked.
“I know, but you cannot deny your heart and I had carried this flame for her for hundreds of years, even though I have taken other females to my bed, none was the one I wanted – Kaladan.” Julius replied.
“Are you going to challenge my choice on her mate?”
Julius shook his head. “I have no qualms about being second or third, her first mate must be able to make her happy and give her children. Though I believe I can make her happy, I can not give her children, I have no right to be a first mate.”
Catherine looked at him. “Have you mated her before the Ancients grabbed her?”
Julius shook his head. “I mated her when she reached the wastelands where the Ancients sent her to die, but that was after she spent a day doing some time travel into the past to Cassiopeia where we first met and it was there we started to have a relationship that first started as blood magic partners and then later, we both started to mate when there was no rituals to be done for our own pleasure. When she returned, we did mate for several hours and if she didn’t have the promise to return to the Ancients, I wouldn’t have allowed her to leave for several more days and she wouldn’t have left alone either, for I would have came back with her.”
Catherine’s eyes narrowed. “Centuries you had said but seem more like millennium. You knew the three pillars, where are the other two?”
“Tyriel is trapped in limbo, Zahra has yet to arrive. Though the one who thinks he is Kaladan’s twin is Zahra’s son.”
“Canard is Zahra’s son?” Catherine’s eye brow raised up in mild surprise. “This may end up being a good thing for my daughter.”
“What do you mean?” Julius asked.

“Meaning he might be the one that is compatible with her,” Catherine stated. “I may just have to arrange them in marriage before my husband decides to do something else than have him as her mate,”
“His father is a DuCaine though, that line is mentally unstable.”
“In space Nightshade will call to Nightshade, that bad blood can be purged.”
“Do you think if he is sent into space a Nightshade will find him and purge the blood?” Julius asked.
“It is possible if he gets on a port where a Nightshade is at, at that moment it may happen. If not then he may have that instability till something happens to awaken it or that he defeats the DuCaine blood within and purges it on his own.”
“You mean a Nightshade can do that, on their own,”
“It’s risky but it is possibly, which is why the DuCaine blood does not worry me. Nor is that sort of instability something that should overcome Seabird blood.”
“So, perhaps, you should ask his legal guardians, Kala’s mom and dad to arrange for him to marry your daughter before your husband does something to prevent it,” Julius suggested. “I must ask for permission from you since you are the one arranging for Kala to go to the magic guild. I humbly request Kala’s hand in marriage as her second mate?”
“I will permit it, as long as you keep out of the older Flashblade boy’s way.”
“I will,” Julius replied, with a smile on his bill as now he would be able to mate with Kala without worry, if she accepts him as her mate when she wakes. He glanced back at her. “Are you well, Lady Seabird?”
Catherine looked at him with a mild look of shock on her face. “Yes, I’m just here to visit with an old friend as well to see Rokfeather.”
“Tarisn Flashblade, correct?” Julius asked.
“How do you know?”
“She’s tending to my mate and that of Nazan’s mate as well,” Julius stated. “She’s in the medical ward,”
“Thanks, take care.” Catherine said as she walked towards the medical ward. She had to admit she owed Nazan a favor, the information about her illness and that the Dove had a cure for it had saved her tail feathers. It had also allowed her and Kellin to have some time like old times, he had come to see how she was doing with the illness, he was pleasantly surprised to see her up and about instead of sick bed. She smiled to herself, she wasn’t going to tell him what she suspected till Tarisn had a look, but it felt like when she had conceived Lola, even though her body would not be able to carry to term like it had for her first daughter.
Catherine walked to the medical ward, slipped within and noticed that Nazan was standing on the edge of a bed that was hidden by the curtain. He was squeezing the curtain as he looked within. She knew he was probably looking at his mate. She walked over to his side and looked in to see the red hair of the female that was in the bed as Tarisn was examining her. “So this is the female Kellin spoke about, Nazan?”
Nazan turned to look at her a bit surprised to see her standing there. “Yes, Summer. She’s my key to keep my family as head of the stations around Puckworld. So did you have a good time with Kellin?”
“I did, why did you not saying anything earlier?”
“I didn’t know what it was till Lola told me, if I had known sooner I would have done something.”
Catherine smiled. “So what happened, you may as well tell me so I can watch your tail feathers?”
“She had her body aged and increased her fertility rate, but Tristan fainted during the spell, Tarisn is still trying to stabilize her.”
Catherine sighed, and took a look at the marking on Summer and then cast a quick diagnosing spell.
“Well the problem is the slowdown is incomplete so it’s causing strain on her more then it should. You need two to do this sort of thing correctly because of the strain.” Catherine said as she pulled out a marker and drawn a few spell glyphs on Summer so she could connect and finish what Tristan had started. She looked at Nazan, “You better stand back Nazan, I’ll finish the time seal but you need to keep a distance.”
Nazan stepped back out of the curtained off area, Catherine was a competent spell caster but preferred to keep to being a merchant. He felt her magic rise and encompass the small area for a bit before it faded away.
“Alright Nazan, it’s safe, the seal is set and should have her body synced in a couple hours. Though I fear she will have heart troubles later on, the strain on an avian body is not good for their health. So when she wakes it will be safe to touch her, but you should wait for Tarisn to give you the clear.”
Nazan appeared by the curtain and nodded. “We are aware of her heart problems, it will kill her when she comes twenty years. I will be waiting for the word in the office, I got some paper work to contend with considering Cleo is probably looking for me right now to get it all done.”
“Is it concerning you medically or something else as in paperwork concerning my son marrying the Thunderbeak girl?” Tarisn asked, as she walked to her side.
“Just regular paper work for the school, though I’m not sure what Catherine is here about.”
“I just want to see how Tarisn is and spend some time with her, its not all the time that I get to see her,” Catherine replied.
“You probably want an update on Kaladan as well, though I should get going as I got work to tend to.” Nazan stated.
Catherine watched as he left the medical ward, before she turned to Tarisn. “I need your eye on something, Tarisn,”
“Oh? What pray tell has gotten your attention.”
“I managed to spend some quality time with my husband; I didn’t think it was possible until I started getting dizzy like when Lola was conceived.”
Tarisn pulled Catherine into a private room and closed the door before she had her sit on the table. “Is there a possibility of you getting with another child, Catherine?”
“Seems like it, I know since the raid year ago that I shouldn’t be able to, but then I had Lola, I wasn’t able to carry her all the way, but enough to use an artificial incubator. I’m hoping for a son, more for Kellin’s sake then mine.”
“Think if he has a son, that Lola will be free from her role?”
“No, I’m thinking of his bloodline, Lola is not sterile but her compatibility is low and she is not able to naturally carry to term. I need Lola for the sake of the Seabird line; her daughter will inherit the fleet from Kelsa. I can not have that child chained by Dove traditions.”
“Well, I better examine you and see if you are with offspring then,” Tarisn stated.
Catherine laid back on the examining table and allowed Tarisn to examine her before having her go into the bathroom to give a sample and then drew some blood to double confirm what the urine sample would state. She looked at Tarisn. “If I am with child, would my illness effect the child’s growth?”
“It shouldn’t, besides you look like you are actually recovering.”
“Seems it was misdiagnosed, but mean the other illness, the one all Suscans have.”
“No, but it will hurt your health.”
“How long will I have?”
“Not sure, normally when you keep a Suscan sedentary it allows their immune system to run rampant eating away at their body. It’s something about travel and the environment of space or high altitudes that keeps it in check. A Suscan body can not handle being sedentary on a planet, living on a station seems fine but on a planet no. The dilemma is your husband’s DNA is prone to being sedentary, so if you stay sedentary while you are carrying the child then your husband’s genes will be more dominant which means the child can live a sedentary life without the same fears as a normal Suscan.”
“Which would be a good thing if it is a boy?” Catherine asked.
“Well yes, since he could live a Dove lifestyle without Collin having to worry.”
“But the risk to my life would be . . .,” Catherine asked.
“It could kill you or make you very weak,” Tarisn stated.
“Considering that I can’t carry full term?”
“You’ll be pretty weak from it, you did carried Lola while in space before using the incubator to bring her to term.”
“Think I should transfer the embryo to the incubator before I get too weak?” Catherine asked.
“No, you are strong enough to carry it at least half way before placing the child in it,” Tarisn suggested.
“But what if something happens to me like the illness that I was diagnosed with and it was not a misdiagnosis?”
“Then, we will transfer the embryo and work to keep you alive for as long as possible,” Tarisn replied.
“Good, children are one of the few blessings me and Collin have.”
Tarisn smiled. “They are a blessing and sometimes a pain,”
“I wished he was not tied to being Black Dove, considering the life we would have had in space,” Catherine stated, as she sat up. “So what it the results of the blood test and the urine?”
Tarisn looked at the two tests and turned to look at her friend and former employer. “You are with child, it will be a while before gender is known.”
“I will let him know, as well as the old feather duster Nazan, it is good for me but as a Suscan commander two daughters has already been a great blessing, this child should follow their father’s footsteps and be Dove and for the Doves when the child is born will be of celebration.”
“Indeed and doubly so, if it is a boy,” Tarisn replied.
Catherine smiled. “I should tell him, though I want you on duty for this, after the misdiagnosis I’d prefer to have a healer I can trust.”
“Of course, I am not doing anything serious with other medical things on this planet,” Tarisn stated. “And it will keep me more aware about Kaladan then getting hints from Dive,”
“True, I hear your youngest is one of the old school Flashblades, it’s a good thing he’s been taken out of regular Orithian School and society before something snapped.”
“And it has, he is marked as a Dove Flashblade,” Tarisn stated. “He and Tensu along with Rowain is in Sunset Valley right now,”
Catherine raised a brow. “Has he been chained by their way of life?”
“Apparently he told your mate off telling him his loyalty is to your daughter.”
“Then marked or not, he’s still free to choose his own path Tarisn. Though I hate to say it regular Orithian society can not handle what it is. Fortune or misfortune, we may be coming upon a very bad point in this world’s history.”
“I agree, something bad or good is coming our way and all of us will have to be prepared for it.” Tarisn replied. “And hopefully, we will be around to see what it is.”
“Be careful what you wish for, the last two times it’s been pretty bad.”
“Last two?”
“You heard right, the last two plunged this world into dark ages where most people are still trying to find even scraps of what happened. The Doves may seem hard-line Tarisn but they formed before the first and survived the second. Suscans are the same, fleet commanders still need to be versed in the tongue from before the first.”
“Sounds like something from the DuCaine period.”
“Tarisn the DuCaine periods is like yesterday in comparison. Orithians hardy as they may be, this is your peoples third attempt to build yourselves into a stable space faring civilization. If a dark age comes again you’ll be starting from zero on a forth try if anyone survives.”
Tarisn shuddered. “You don’t have to make it sound that bad, what’s the worse that can happen.”
Catherine smirked and shrugged. “Well the last two times 2/3rds of the population got wiped out.”
“It took years to recover to the amount of people we had in the last one,” Tarisn replied. “If it happens, I hope my children are not here on this planet,”
“If I am still alive at that time, my friend, they will be off this planet,” Catherine stated.
“Good, you know I’m going to have nightmares about that now.”
“No different from those of raiders.”
Tarisn laughed as did Catherine. Tarisn continued with her examination to make sure that she was fully healthy to carry the child to term. She did note some congestion in Catherine’s lungs but that was from the cold that she had earlier that month. Tarisn did let her know about that and told her if it got worse to inform her immediately before she allowed her former employer to leave the private room. Tarisn stood by Summer Rokfeather’s bed as Catherine told her that the young girl will be fine once everything stabilized and she’ll be probably taking one of the private rooms with Nazan the minute she gave the word for sexual activities.
“You better go see Collin before he’s swamped with people to not have time to see you,” Tarisn added.
“He’ll have time, but I should get going. Take good care of Nazan’s mate, Rokfeather is always worth investing in.”
Tarisn nodded as she turned to look at the medical chart and decided to do a light scan of her body to make sure that everything was okay still. After the scan was finished, Tarisn allowed herself to relax as the girl was very stable at the moment. Now, for the one who cast the spell on her, she needed to see how he fared as she headed out of the medical ward towards the guest room of Kaladan. She knocked and waited as Julius opened the door. “Can I see Tristan to make sure that he’s recovering well?”
Julius nodded, as he stepped aside. “As you can see he’s sleeping next to her, full contact skin to skin. The moment he got placed in the bed next to her, she wrapped her leg around him and pulled him closer to her.”
“Normally as her future mother in law I would be upset if I didn’t know the real reasons behind it. Have you been keeping an eye on his pulse and breathing?”
Julius nodded. “His heart rate is steady and his breathing is not as strained, right now I think it’s more shock for depleting his own power, the spell should have been done with three magic users not just one, but in his case it was probably better to solo since the two he has a bond with are either not around or in Kala’s case unconscious.”
“If she was not, he wouldn’t be in this state?” Tarisn asked.
“Correct,” Julius replied.
“Why didn’t he wait though? Summer could have waited till Kala was awake.”
Julius shrugged. “Pride most likely, though him being in this state might do something for Kaladan’s,”
“Meaning it might stir her awake?”
“Yes, she did though but not enough to awaken fully,” Julius stated. “But she might awaken when he does, which could be likely and might not even happen for a few weeks to months,”
“I’m going to have to write up a report for his guild, I know he has reasons but it doesn’t change he endangered himself over pride and a what if.”
“And if the what if is correct?”
“Doesn’t change his reckless behavior, mages like healers must take care of themselves in order to take care of others,”
“And at this moment, he’s unable to because he knocked himself out,”
“Correct,” Tarisn stated, as she checked on Kaladan to notice that she’s getting close to fully waking up but it might be the fact that Tristan was so close to her. “She seems to be close to waking up. She may wake within the month or two.”
“Are you sure she’ll wake soon?” asked Julius.
Tarisn nodded. “She has been showing more and more brain activity, she’s getting close.”
“So she could probably awaken when Tristan awakens?” asked Julius.
“That is very possible, though not yet proven most healers speculate that when those who are bonded are deeply unconscious, their minds interconnect with the others of the bond.”
“So Tristan could bring her awake when he awakens, if they’re connecting through their bonds?”
“Most likely, but it is unknown if it will happen like that,”
He turned his attention back to Kaladan. “I really want her to wake up soon,”
Tarisn watched him from the place she was seated at and noticed how he stood, something was bothering him. “So what’s wrong? You look like you are bothered by something.”
Julius turned to look at her and then down to his feet as he noticed why he was bothered. “I just wish I could be within my mate right now but I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.”
“Where is your mate?” Tarisn asked.
Julius turned to look at Kaladan and spoke, “Kala is my mate or will be when she wakes and approves of me becoming her second mate.”
“Does Catherine Seabird know about this?” asked Tarisn.
“Yes, she does and since I am sterile, I am allowed as long as I do not bother the first mate with the need to be within our mate all the time,” Julius said.
“I’m not sure what Catherine is thinking, but I trust her. Though I do wonder why you chose her?”
“Nothing complicated, she is Virtue. Back in the day, we were lovers though in the present day she is in a different body but the soul is the same. It’s one of those things about the bond, you always know where another is.”
“So you and she were instinctively attracted to each other even in this time?”
Julius nodded as he looked at Kala. “Yes, and even though she knew she was betrothed to another, she still asked me to fill her and at first I refused because of her young body, but she seduced me to couple with her and when I did enter her, I knew something was not right as she should have been a virgin when I slid within but she told me that the Supreme Ancient and his apprentice were raping her on a daily basis and actually showed me by performing the so called sacred sacrament of the mate of the Supreme Ancient,”
“Which was?” Tarisn asked, her hands firmly on her hips, she wanted to hear and know everything that happened to her future daughter in law.
“By the Supreme Ancient forcing her to suck his erection and allow him to put it within her till he came and was limp, then she had to suck it till it was limp or she was forced to have it shoved back in till he was limp after she sucked it clean. And the thing was, he took her violently too at times, no touching of her inner folds to prepare the way, he would just shove it in and have his way with her till he was satisfied and she bleeding from her folds,” Julius stated.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier you knew these details.”
“Because the state she was in it seem obvious on what they had done to her,”
“True, but still, you should have told us as I was examining her initially, I would have given instructions on how to help her recover as she is an abuse survivor,” Tarisn stated.
“The best way to recover is through being able to trust some one implicitly. She may be still in a coma but her mind is far more active then when she was first brought here. I think what’s holding her back is her own insecurities. Tristan’s state might be bad but how they are right now also is the best way for them to link and communicate. The bond is cruel as it is kind . . . the more on the edge those in the bond are the more the spirits can directly communicate. All you can do is trust them.”
Tarisn nodded silently as she looked at Kala and Tristan. “When do you think she will awaken?”
Julius shook his head. “That is up in the air, as she may decide to wake up tomorrow or the day after that. It is unknown,”
“Or when Tristan wakes,”
“That is the case, right now I’m betting on Tristan to help her sort through things, what keeps him in that state is an energy strain, so his recovery is much more certain.”
“Okay, so it might be when he awakens and that would be?”

“Could be next week or next month or two months from now, it is unknown how long this coma will be for Kala,”

“Have you seen anyone come from a coma after being collared?”
“I have, someone who didn’t have the bond but they were incredible mentally unstable. Despite the hope that it would be alright when they woke up, it was even crueler to have to kill them before they harmed others.”
“Who was this person?”
“His name was Girliard Pern, an early victim of the civil war. He was beaten and collard by Quinn DuCaine, Drake’s father. By some miracle he was able to endure and escape but fell unconscious he was found by his comrades and the collar was forcibly removed. He was unconscious for about a month and when he woke up, his mind had already snapped. I was there to destroy that collar and unfortunately had to take him down as well. Since then any magic user who knew of the incident would take their own lives before being collared.”
“Are you implying there is no hope for her?”
“No, what I’m saying is that the time it is taking is a good sign, I’d be more worried if she woke up too quickly because then her mind would have snapped instead of trying to heal it’s trauma.”
“Okay, so the slow time of her coming out of it is a good sign,”

“Yes, if she woke too fast, I would be the one who would slay her fast so she would not suffer the mental breakdown,”
Tarisn nodded, she had never dealt with a collar survivor before and until now had not understood why Tristan and Julius never tried to speed up her recovery. Somethings just needed time and this was one of them. Even as much as she hated it, there was no choice in the matter.
“You know, if she makes a full recovery then I will have to compile all the treatment data and send it to my guild. A successful recovery means possible treatments in the future.”
“You better start compiling that data now as she will recover, Tarisn, that I have no doubt.” Julius replied with a smile on his bill.

“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’ll even wager on it,” he stated.
Tarisn’s eyebrow raised up in interest. “You want to wager on her recovery?”
“Yes, I’ll wager on her recovery,” Julius smiled as he looked at Kala. He reached over to her and pushed back some hair from her face before kissing her forehead.
“So how much or what will you wager on her recovery not happening?” Spoke a voice coming from the door.
Both of them turned to see Lola and Catherine standing there.
“Depends on what you will give,” Julius said, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
“Come now, you were so confident about it a minute ago.”
Julius smirked. “Fine, if I’m wrong I’ll hand over the weapons that belong to the three pillars.”
“And if you are correct, I’ll give you the help you need to repair Cassiopeia and get it up and running again,” Catherine stated.

“I’ll send some of our allies to Cassiopeia to help with the rebuild who owe me favors,” Lola replied.
Julius smiled. “That is very generous offers, it will mean that my mate’s city will be revived faster than I had once thought.”
“It’s worth it if you are right, I would like to see this world rebuilt.” Catherine said with a smile. “It would be good for business.”
“Yes it would,” Julius smiled as he pictured the city being reborn again bigger and better. “I would be very happy to see this planet back the way we had it before the split happened with the magic communities. I can only hope that the magic guild will return when the city is fully revived.”
“I don’t see why they wouldn’t, Cassiopeia was a city state so I see no reason for them to refuse.”
“I hope to see that happen as I cried the day they took the school away from there,” Julius stated.
Catherine smiled as she clasped his shoulder with her hand. “You will be crying happy tears when they return, I promise you that.”
Julius smiled as he sat in his chair. “So do we have a wager then?”
“You have a wager, I look forward to the outcome.” Catherine said as she looked to Tarisn. “I’ve been thinking about your older boy, while not much use for re-establishing your mate’s house in space, he’s going to need a trade otherwise he’ll have no hope off world.”
“It would be hard to explain to my mate if Wing isn’t on world when he does came home.”
“I was thinking of him apprenticing at the port in the city here and having him tutored to make up for what he does not learn in his regular school.”
Tarisn nodded. “It would be for the best, I do still have some contacts who would help me tutor my eldest here on this backwater planet,”
“Good, he’ll be training in the merchants guild, it’s hard to get a competent apprentice on this world so they’ll be happy to have him.”
“And not worry about his age?”
“They won’t mind if he’s willing to give it a good attempt at it and if he does well, I’ll truly be thrilled knowing that he’ll be worthy of Kaladan’s hand,”
“What do you mean?”
“Meaning he will show that he has some worth for her to have and I insist that she takes on his last name,”

Julius spoke up. “Do you know you just limited her to one lifespan by that, Catherine?”
“What do you mean by that?” Catherine asked.
“As Thunderbeak you know Death will let her pass to the next life but she is paranoid about the Flashblades.”
“Very well then her first daughter will carry on her father’s name.”
“And her other children, she bears will carry the Thunderbeak name or they will carry the Nova name if they do come from his genes,”
“I doubt that, since I’m sterile. I would love to grant her a child of my genes but that would be seriously unlikely,” Julius replied.
“A shame, it would be nice to have the House of Nova back.”
Julius shrugged. “Maybe when my younger sister finds someone worth settling down with. After all this time she’s managed to keep herself alive in Limbo.”
“How did she get sent there?” Catherine asked.
“Not really sure how,” Julius replied. “They say that Lady DuCaine sent her and another Saurian by the name of Sapphire there to protect them from the wrath of DuCaine.”
“And you are sure she still lives?”
“She visits every century or so, so yeah she still lives.”
“How do you know it is not someone else posing as her?”
“I would know if it was someone else, they cannot hide their auras from a Nova, we can see different auras from everyone, even the Doves we can read.”
“So you can tell,” Tarisn asked.
Julius nodded. “I can tell who’s healthy and who’s not when they get to the wastelands or if I come into the cities for a brief time to listen to what is going on in the world and if I could find my Kala again,”
“I see, I’ll remember that in any future dealings with you.”
Julius smiled before he locked his eyes onto Catherine and called out to her aura, to see it respond to his call. He saw sickness and something else – an offspring. “You are with child, aren’t you?”
Catherine swiftly turned to look at him shocked as she was not going to tell Lola till after she told Kellin. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Plus there is something else you need to be aware of, as well,”
Catherine turned to look at Lola. “Step out of the room for a moment, please?”
Lola looked at her and nodded as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. She knew her mom will tell her about it later.
Catherine looked at him. “What else is there?” As she knew she was healthy beyond being pregnant since the diagnosis that Tarisn and that of the guild healer had made months before turned out to be false.
“You are dying, your body is starting the shut down process. You have about ten to fifteen years before you go, but you will die,”
Catherine eyed him carefully, she knew her friend would not lie to her but what if the disease that the guild healer had detected was at the starting stage and that Tarisn didn’t detect as of yet. “Are you sure about that?”
“You saw a guild healer, did you not?”
“Yes, but he said I had,”

“The tests that you did here, wouldn’t pick it up yet till it is further along by a few weeks. Trust the guild healer you saw first as he was correct,” Julius stated calmly.
Catherine knew that healer had gone back to the guild but her mind went to the tests she got done here at Raven’s Court by Tarisn. Did her friend make an error or was the disease in the starting stages?
“Its at the start of the incurable stage, Catherine, some tests will not detect it till its already advanced into it,” Julius stated. “I can see it in you right now. Maybe because I have seen it effect other Suscans who stay here for way too long,”
Catherine’s mind relaxed, she had thought he had meant something else, something viral. But what he had stated was something she did know about but not how long she actually had left. Catherine smiled. “I know of what you are talking about and I’m aware of it, all Suscans are. It’s built into our bodies to react badly while staying on a planet since we’ve lived in space for so long, Lola’s body is a bit hardier against it but if she remains it will do the same for her, it is a simple fact of life. Tarisn didn’t miss it, there is no mistake but I am not going to fight it either. I gave my husband my word that I would be by his side till the end be it mine or his.”
“That seems like suicide to me. What about the child you carry?”
“The child will be fine, they have two older sisters to take care of them, but my decision is still the same, despite the cruelty of circumstances we still love each other, I can not be selfish and stay in space, he needs me here so I will remain.”
Julius sighed but he could not argue with her. “Tell me then, if Suscans know of this affliction what is the cause of it?”
Catherine chuckled, “Well we call it caged bird, but the actually sickness is caused by a reaction to planetary gravity and magnetic fields. Prolonged exposure slowly starts the process of shutting the body down, it becomes most apparent during the last five to ten years of ones life. Tarisn know about it but there is nothing she can do about it so it was not a factor in the tests. You know you had me worried for a moment that it was something other then that she had missed.”
“Will you tell her, that your end is coming so she can spend time with you?” Julius asked.
“She will know, she has to to make sure the fleet keeps stable.”
Julius nodded before he turned to look at Kala and Tristan. “For a moment, I thought I felt them both waking.”
“Maybe they’re feeding off of each other right now?” Catherine said, as she looked at the two sleeping children.
“That might be what they’re doing,” Julius replied. “I just hope that they’ll awaken soon,”
“As you said, they could awaken at any time, but I doubt that they’ll awaken anytime soon. I have a feeling they both will awaken when Nazan has a daughter,” Catherine said, as she headed for the door.
“What I learned from you about your health, will be kept secret till you are ready to reveal it to your people and even if you die without telling them, I will keep it secret,” Julius stated.
“Thank you,” Catherine smiled, as she opened the door and walked out joining her daughter out in the hallway.
Lola looked to her mother. “So what did he have to say?”
“Oh, nothing too surprising, he said I’m starting to look like a caged bird.”
Lola nodded. “You are staying here for dad’s sake, aren’t you?”
“I can live with it, there will be other turns of the wheel, but I will stay with him as long as I can, he only has this turn left.”
“I won’t ask how long, though I guess Kelsa and I will have to take on more responsibility for the fleet, though Kelsa is turning into a good fleet commander.”
“I know she and you will be good fleet commanders after all you both are my children,” Catherine replied with a smile.
Lola nodded. “You’d best tell him that you are expecting.”
Catherine smiled. “That is why I’m here, I was hoping that he would be here but I guess I need to travel to Dublin to tell him. Do you want to come to see his reaction? I’m sure that there will be a huge celebration, there was one when I was pregnant with you,”
“There was?” Lola asked, as they walked down the corridor.

“Yes, one that lasted for an entire month before everyone went back to their jobs and there was another one right after your birth which lasted two months,” Catherine smiled.
“I never knew about them,” Lola replied.
“Well, he and I didn’t have a child for a long time before you came. They thought I was sterile to his seeds,” Catherine looked at her. “I’ll tell you a secret though,”
“What?”
“I hope this child is a boy, as Collin wants a son to carry his role as the next Black Dove. When that happens, you will be free to do what you wish in space,” Catherine ran her hand over Lola’s hair.
“I hope you are right, mom. A son is what the Dove needs, not a girl like me as leader,” Lola replied, as they headed for the port to get on a ship to Dublin.
“True you are more Suscan then Dove, though I think your cousin will be next in line if you end up with a little sister.”
“Then, I shall hope for a brother, mother, father will be proud to have a son, even if he does love me. I know he would rather have a son,” Lola replied.
Catherine smiled as they got to the port and the shuttle that was waiting for her to go to her main fleet ship in space but she told the captain to head for Dublin.
~~~~~~~
The week was almost over, Nosedive and Tensu sat in their room in the hotel going over their notes. It had been quite a learning experience. Nosedive realized how much lies were being told by the plains historians, what was known from the Doves to him felt like the truth. He stepped from his room to see Rowain sitting at the table working on his own stuff. “Rowain, is what I learned about the Vendetta the truth?”
Rowain nodded. “It was never an invasion, just a civil war told from the perspective of the side who started it.”
“A civil war?” Dive asked, as he walked to the dining room table and sat down across from Rowain.
“One side did not like Avians and Saurians working and living together, they saw it as an invasion against their pure Avian race, they didn’t like Raptrins or Suscans either but as you have seen there was not much they could do about that.”
“Indeed, all they could do was defend themselves from people who didn’t want them living around them or on their planet,” Dive replied. “That’s what I got from what I learned and the sad thing is, the flat plains are blinded that their so called war was genocide against two species, maybe a species and a sub-species that all they wanted was to live in peace,”
“Pretty much, though some I think are starting to figure it out, there is a group on the plains referred to as drifters. They take interest in what they find stuff that tells about what had been in the past.”
“I heard mom talk about them, they tend to keep a low profile and the only time that I hear about them if mom makes mention that one of them showed up at the house requesting aid as in medical treatment from her,” Dive replied.
Rowain smiled. “Your mom grew up in space, to them she has much more respect and knowledge that a common planetary doctor. It also means that if they find non avian bones she can most likely identify them.”
“Like the Saurians?” Dive asked.

Rowain nodded. “Yes and there are of course other species out there, Nosedive. She will be able to identify them when they present a strange bone to her,”
“That is pretty cool, I once thought dad was cool for being a military R&D but mom seems to be much cooler now.”
“We will be heading to the Flashblade estate tomorrow, you’d best make yourself mentally ready.”
“I will be ready for it.” Dive locked his eyes on Rowain’s. “I am ready to see my land.”
“You are not allowed to mess up like you did in the city here, you have to keep yourself hidden.”
“Everyone will know the minute I step onto my lands. The land will tell everyone that Lord Flashblade has returned,” Dive’s eyes turned red as he spoke.
Rowain mentally growled as the spirit of the Dove Flashblade made his presence known to him. He held his hands up. “But even then, you need to keep yourself hidden, it is not the right time for you to be revealed to the people, Nosedive, there are those who will want you dead, if they knew you live.”
“They will die by my blade if they try,” Dive stated firmly.
“No, you swore to watch Lola’s back, revealing yourself here will only create chains. The land can announce but you can also silence it.”
Dive nodded. “If the land tries, it will be silenced.” Dive stood up from the chair and headed for his room without another word.

Rowain let go of his breath that he held since he stated what he said to Dive. He knew if Dive announced himself there and the land did as well, Dive would never be able to leave the island again as a free drake.
“That was close,” Tensu stated in a low whisper.
“Indeed, I thought I would have to pull out my true bloodline to get him to back down,” Rowain replied.

“You being a McDove instead of a Ringdove?” Tensu asked.
Rowain nodded. “That goes without saying, unfortunately this place is both the best and worst for him. While this is a history lesson, it is also a lesson on control over land spirit and elemental spirit.”
“So what now?” Tensu asked.
“Getting ourselves ready for tomorrow morning,” Rowain said. “It will be our test as well,”
“What do you mean, sir?” Tensu asked.
“See how we handle Dive if he does allow the land to reveal that he is the missing Dove Flashblade,” Rowain stated. “Now head for your room and get prepared, we leave here tomorrow after breakfast.”
Tensu nodded as he headed for his chamber.
The next morning found them all in the living room with their backpacks by their sides. Rowain looked at them both before telling them to grab breakfast and eat as they’ll be going to the estate immediately after they were finished.
Dive noticed that there was food that he usually had at Raven’s Court there on the table before him. He immediately sat down and started to eat as he was anxious to get to the estate to see it. Was it as beautiful as he saw it by the sky? He wondered.
Tensu looked over to him. “Have you figured out how to deal with the land spirit?”
Dive looked at him. “I have. I will once I step onto my lands force the land spirit to remain silent or never have the honor of having me on its lands again,”
“Sounds like a good threat, hope it works.”
“I hope so, I don’t want to go for the other option,” Dive replied, as he started to shove food into his bill.
Rowain looked at him. “So what would be the other option, Nosedive?”
“I’d kill the land spirit, seems to be the only other way.”
Tensu shook his head. “Dive, if you killed the land spirit you would kill yourself, your life force is connected to the land.”
“I know that,” Dive replied. “I know that the land spirit will not do anything to go against the direct order of Lord Flashblade,”
“You are not Lord Flashblade yet, Nosedive,” Rowain stated coldly from his place at the table.
“Not yet, but then again the land had no other options does it? Other then my dad and Wing who else could it claim?”
“It doesn’t have any other options than to obey your command, Dive,” Rowain replied.
Dive smiled as he finished his meal. Tensu looked at him. “I won’t get sick, Tensu. I did eat slow.”
Tensu nodded as they finished their meals ten minutes later. Rowain placed the plates in the dishwasher and headed for the door with them behind him as he took them to an aero car where he told the driver to head for the Flashblade estates and to drop them at the gate.
The drive took a few hours, Dive continued to mull over his methods of keeping the land quiet. He glanced over to Tensu who was sleeping though the trip and smiled, he wondered if Tensu had mastered dealing with his worries. He smiled as he glanced out the window and allowed his eyes to close as he rested for the next few hours till they got to the estate.
Rowain nudge both boys awake after paying the aero car driver, in a way it was good that they had been let out outside of the estate because Dive would not be able to stop the land if he was asleep. Rowain watched as Dive looked at the ground intensely. He glanced about making sure no one was noticing Dive’s glare at the land before Dive glanced up and smiled. “So?”

Dive smiled. “The land has been silenced. It knows if it announces me now, I’ll kill it and myself at the same time.”
“Good, I don’t want to ever have to be in a battle of wills with this land.” Rowain said calmly. “Sunset valley has always has a mind of it’s own as far as most can remember.”
“It didn’t want to at first obey my command but it did listen,” Dive replied. “Now let us go in and see my family’s land.”
Rowain nodded and led him in though the gates, Dive’s eyes went wide with the orchard in front of him, he had never see so many tree outside of a green house or so much fruit. “Are you shocked about it?”
Dive nodded. “I’ve never really see anything like it.”
“Most of the major estates have orchards and farm lands tied to them, part of a Lord’s responsibility is to make sure that in hard times his or her people are fed and clothed.”
Dive looked around before he looked at Rowain. “Is my people here fed and clothed properly? If they’re not, I may announce myself early to get them fed and clothed properly? I will not leave my people to want for anything.”
Rowain lowered his shades and locked eyes with Dive. He could see the determination in his eyes. “Dive, listen to me carefully. Your people are taken good care of. They have everything that they ever want here. We have observers here and if there is a slight chance that there is want, it is known immediately and fixed just as fast.”
“You sure, Rowain?” Dive whispered.
“I am sure, the Doves takes care of it’s people that is part of the councils’ responsibility. Though if the people disobey the law it is also our responsibility to enforce it and hand out the punishment.”
Dive looked at him. “Would you tell me what I really need to know if I become a Dove when I get older and decide to become a Dove?”
Rowain looked at him before placing his hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure you want to learn what it means to be a Dove?”
“Yes,” Dive said.
“Then enjoy your freedom, a Dove may have pure free will but those at the top have no freedom. We live to serve and protect. The common people have come to fear us, but at the same time respect us for our responsibilities. You can not achieve a high position though combat, money or politics. your born with it and must live with it all your life. Though in recent times, our Crimson is a sole exception. For eons we have remained the same, the same structure and not trusting the outside. I should hate the crimson for breaking tradition and continuing to to bend and break them when he sees it necessary.” Rowain half smiled. “At the same time, I am ever grateful, Nazan as our crimson has started to pave a path for the Doves that was not available a generation ago. As the future Black Dove I can not have the future Flashblade Lord subservient to the old ways. I need some one flexible, cunning, intelligent and experience in the ways of the outside and the Doves. What it means to be a Dove, is slowly changing.”
“Then, I should go about my life as it is now and learn what I can from Lola and you before I decide?” Dive asked.
Rowain nodded. “That would be wise, and to do that you can not be chained to this place or the Doves.”
“Till I decide to become a Dove but that depends on what Lola does, I’ll most likely become a Suscan instead,” Dive stated.
“That may be where you are heading towards if Lola becomes a full Suscan instead of a Dove like her dad wants,” Rowain replied.
“And what about you?”

“I’ll be the big bad black,” Rowain said with a smile.
“That is fine with you?”
“It’s how it is suppose to be, Lola is more Suscan then Dove.”
“So why teach me both Dove and Suscan information?”
“Because you will need both as you get older regardless of which path Lola walks.”
Dive looked at him. “I doubt you will be the big bad black,” as he turned his attention to the people who was approaching them. “Who are they?”
Rowain looked at him before turning to look at the people who were approaching them. “Those are the caretakers of the estate, Dive. They will tend to the Dove Flashblade estate till the Dove Lord returns and then even then, they’ll take care of it.”
“I see, do they also give a guided tour?”
“In out cage Nosedive, it will be self guided like in the museums in the capital.” Nosedive nodded, as Rowain smiled towards the people who were approaching them. “We have not found the Dove Lord Flashblade yet, Sigar.”
The Raptrin lowered his head. “I had hoped that you would bring the long lost Lord or Lady here, Rowain. But as my ancestor promised Lady Asp that we would take care of the estate till he or she appears and takes their rightful place here.”
“As long as you keep your promise all should work out, for now I am only here to teach.”
Sigar made a nod. “I have no reason to stop you just be cautious of the area not open to regular visitors since the traps have been kept live.”
“We will. Is the family crypt closed off or open to visitors?” Rowain asked.
“It is open to the council ranks only as usual.”
“Both of these two are of council rank, so they’re good to go in.” Rowain stated, as he turned to Dive and Tensu. “We’ll hit the Dove Flashblade family crypt last. We don’t have all day to stand here, even though we have a week to return here.”
The two boys nodded. “We’ll start at the west wing and work our way though.” Tensu said having been to the Flashblade estate once before.
Dive followed Tensu to the west wing as Tensu told him what he knew of the west wing. It was till they reached the portraits as Tensu pointed out to the last Dove Lady Flashblade – the Lady Asp. Dive looked at it. “She’s beautiful.”
“She never lived to see her 30th year, Asp was the last head of the Flashblade house and one of the strongest, but between the Flashblade clash, the vendetta and a few political plots, her life was cut short.”
“And no heir?” Dive asked.
Tensu nodded. “She bore no offspring as her mate to be was killed days before their marriage and she didn’t mate with him before thus no chance for offspring.”
Dive nodded “I’m guessing she became lady of the land at a young age?”
“A year older then you are, Dive is when she became lady. Truthfully I think why Rowain is trying to hide your existence is to prevent another tragedy like the one Asp faced.”
“I agree, to die at a young age, even though she may have lived a good life helping her people, she died way too soon,” Dive whispered, as they went to another portrait which was her father. Dive looked shocked at it. “Her father looks like my dad.”
“Some times it is genetics, Dive, Flashblades tend to have similar looks over the generations.”
“Really?”
Tensu nodded. “If you look at enough Flashblade family portraits and you will see other relatives or that some look a lot alike.”
“Cool, is there anything else the runs in the Flashblade line?”
“Other then their connections of the tree of life and Sunset valley, they had a tendency to wield quite a bit of magic.”
“Magic, like what Kala can do?” Dive asked.
“Not quite, but very similar. It’s channeled through the land but can be just as potent.”
“More potent than the powers of a Pillar?”
“No, they’re equal in power,”
“Why equal?”
“Because the pillars’ channel most of their power from the realm of the Morningstar, but their bodies are mortal and are not made to channel that kind of power in excess, much like how even if you tap into it you will only ever wield a fraction of it.”
Dive looked at him and looked around before whispering. “If I was to do that wield it fully, what will happen to me?”
“You’d destroy yourself on the subatomic level.”
“That’s not a good thing, correct?”
Tensu nodded. “It would be advisable that you don’t do that,”
Nosedive nodded. “So where to from the portrait gallery?”
“Well the next point from here is the armory with the old Flashblade swords and weapons of past allies. Truthfully, I’m still perplexed by a Storm Surfer staff being in that collection.”
“Lets go and look at the armory, I want to see this Storm Surfer staff,” Dive replied, as they headed towards the armory.
The armory was not a small place, Dive had long ago learned that to a Dove a weapon was part of a person, they could not be considered different entities. So when a Dove died their weapon was laid either with them, or to rest in the family estate, and in some rare cases passed down to the next generation so that they may protect the next generation. Weapons that were passed down over generations usually had a will of their own. They looked at all the weapons that laid before them in their cases – one spot laid empty in a case marked The Sword of Asp.
Dive looked at Tensu. “Where is her sword?”
Tensu shrugged. “Lost in time, they say it was given to a blonde hair drake and he stole it out of her home to hide it from her enemies and only her heir shall find it and claim it and the rank of Lord or Lady Flashblade of the Doves. Most think it is only a myth.”
Dive placed his hand on the case only to pull it back as he felt a shock come from the case itself. “I think it’s more real then a myth, like you told me back in the capital, myth has the seeds of truth in it.”
“Do you think it will come true that the sword will be found by the true heir to the House?” Tensu asked.
“It’s really only a matter of time. I don’t think it is lost, the impression I get is that it has yet to arrive.”
“For the myth had also stated that the blonde hair drake went with a Storm Surfer and that Surfer was never seen after the second to the last battle of the Houses.” Tensu replied.
“So the Storm Surfer staff is a hint.”
“It is but it has no name with it.”
“That is a shame as if there was a name to it, we could find the Storm Surfer’s descendants and get the sword from them and place it where it belongs here in the armory.” Dive said, as he held his hand over the case.
Tensu chuckled. “I don’t think Asp would make it that simple, for all we know with the vendetta it could have fallen into Drake’s hands. I have a theory, but I will not say right now.”
Dive gave Tensu a puzzled look, he’d have to ask later. Tensu at times could see the threads of time and fate which made most Doves uneasy with him. They continued to look at the other weapons, the Flashblades were very fond of swords but some used other bladed weapons. The one had blades on a bow. Dive looked at Tensu. “Do you think they’ll allow me to take a closer look at that bow?”
Tensu shook his head. “I doubt it, they’ll be suspicious if you do ask,”
Dive nodded. “It’s just that it looks out of place, though I’m not sure why.”
“I agree, it does look out of place,” Tensu stated, noticing the note card by the bladed bow. “Let me read the card and see who it belonged to.”
Tensu grabbed a foot ladder and climbed up to read the note card. “Tealong-nim Blackblade, husband of Anastasia Flashblade.” Tensu got down and looked to Dive. “It’s not a Flashblade weapon, but someone from your mother’s family.”
“Maybe, not sure,” Dive replied.
“True, though I’m amused by the fact you noticed it, most people talk about Lady Asp but very little was ever said about her parents, her mother was a Flashblade and her father a Blackblade.” Tensu gave Dive his annoying knowing smile, the one he usually gave him when he figured something out before Dive did.
“Maybe my mom’s family is more tied to the Flashblades than one first thought,” Dive said.
“Maybe, maybe not but so far I think my theory on the sword might be right.”
“And that would be?”
Tensu just smiled. “I will tell you when we return to Raven’s Court, no sooner then that. There are too many here who might catch wind.”
“And that’s not a good thing,” Dive whispered, as they moved on with the look at the weapons before meeting up with Rowain who was looking at one of the rooms on the west wing.
“Did you see anything interesting?”
Dive shook his head. “Just portraits and weapons, though the weapons helped picture the personalities of the people in the portraits.”
Rowain nodded as he looked at them. “They’re about to close up for the night, we should go back to the hotel and get some rest before returning here for another day’s research.”
“Alright, what is set for evening studies?”
“For cultures a historical drama at the central theater.”
“Not bad, hopefully I won’t nod off during it,” Dive replied with a grin on his face.

Rowain lowered his glasses far enough to where his red eyes locked on Dive’s. “You better not or you will be watching a repeat performance of it,”
Dive broke out into laughter. “Oh I don’t plan on nodding off, Rowain. Besides, the look on your face was priceless!”
Rowain growled as he made Dive and Tensu walk in front of him. He would have to do something to Dive to make him pay for making him angry like that, just to get a laugh.
Tensu kept quiet as they went back to the city for diner and then the drama, his mind was on his theory trying to work out some of it’s missing pieces. Rowain noticed his silence but knew something was not right since he left the west wing of the Flashblade mansion.
It was after Dive headed off to bed and the living room was silent as Rowain listened for any sound coming from Dive’s room after he did his shower and got the salve onto his back and got it wrapped up. “Tensu, a word with you.”
“Yes sir,” Tensu replied, when they both were assured that Dive was asleep. “About what?”
“You seem to be lost in thought since the trip to the estate.”
“I think I understand where the sword is, or more precisely when. I’m just not certain of the events that lead up to it, but the sword does not linger in the span between, it will be passed on directly to her heir by her. The blond is no messenger but her chosen heir.”
“But who is her chosen heir?” Rowain asked.
“We both know who it is,” Tensu stated, as he turned to look at the lone closed door in the suite.
“Then I should have just let the land announce him.”
“Now is too soon, he won’t be till he holds her sword, only then will he be truly her heir but that time has not come yet.”
“Then, when he gains her sword whenever and how he gains it, it will be a long time,” Rowain stated.
“He’s not very old now, I would give it three decades before her sword finds him,” Tensu replied. “For now, he has to be kept secret,”
“As long as Dive doesn’t let it slip who he really is,” Rowain whispered.
“I think he will keep that bit quiet, it’s more for his own safety.”
Rowain nodded. “If the priests don’t squeal on the fact that a Flashblade kid was here, he’ll be safe till he formally claims the title of Lord Flashblade of the Doves.”
“Like Dive will listen to them, they can serve either side if it’s a Flashblade. They’re concern more is for a Dove Flashblade.”
“Indeed.” Rowain said, as he glanced at the clock. “We better head off to bed ourselves or we’ll be hard to wake in the morning.”
Tensu nodded. “Lets hope there is more information to this tomorrow.”
“I hope so as it is Dive, we’re talking about, we need to get all of the information we can get before we even dare let Dive claim the title and rank,” Rowain said, as he headed for the door to his bedchamber. “Get some sleep, Tensu,”
“Yes sir.” Tensu headed off into his chamber hoping to figure out how and when Dive would claim the sword of Asp. Just as he was about to close his door, he realized something as he turned to head for Rowain’s chamber he paused as he could tell him in the morning or when he was able to get him alone but the realization of what he knew was shocking as he slipped into bed and fell fast asleep.
~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, they finished their morning meal and with Dive leading the way, Tensu wondered if he should tell Rowain his thought about Dive. But he held his tongue till they were able to be alone to tell him his thoughts.
It was couple hours on the road, Dive’s snores were loud as Tensu looked at Rowain. He asked, “Rowain, tell me what you see in Dive?”
“What do you means what I see in him?” Rowain asked.
“Who do you see in Dive as in the gender of the last Lady?”
The vehicle made a sharp swerve in the road. Rowain got the car back under control. “I think no one has noticed because of the gender and because he’s still a kid.”
“Yes and it makes sense now, with how everything is moving,” Tensu replied.
It was another hour before they got to the estate and Dive did his normal commanding of the land to remain silent or die before they walked through the gates and headed into the estate for their tour of the north wing.
~~~~~~~~~
Wing watched as the Raptrins walked out of Raven’s Court. Cleo took notice of the drake standing by the gates, she had been filled in on Nosedive’s family members, so she knew who he was. “You are here to see your mate to be are you not?”
Wing nodded. “Yes, I am.” He bit his lower lip. “I was a bit scared to approach alone as this place is so huge and so scary.” Wing looked up at the three story building.
Cleo smiled. “Raven’s Court tends to be a bit scary to outsiders,”
Wing nodded. “Will you let me see Kala?”
“I have no reason not to, she is your future mate.”
Cleo led Wing back into Raven’s Court and to the room where Kala was in. “She’s in within this chamber with her other mates,”
Before Wing could ask her what she meant by that she turned on her heel and left the corridor snapping off in some strange tongue at some students who was just standing around. Wing turned to the door and opened it after knocking gently on it before he stepped into the room to see a drake sitting by Kala and a strange creature sleeping next to her in bed with her.
Julius turned to look at who had entered. “I was wondering when you would pay her a visit.”
“Who are you and who is he and why is he in my mate’s bed?” Wing asked, as he stepped into the room.
“I am Julius, he is Tristan Wraith, the standing pillar of wisdom, since Kala is virtue they are connected through the bond and the physical contact helps him reach her on the spiritual level.”
Wing looked at Kala. “So he’s helping her come our from her shock?”
Julius nodded. “Though it is a slow process but doing it slowly aides her more than waking her immediately,”
“What happened to her, mom said she was recovering, she never said that Kala was in a coma.”
“Kala had a collar on her neck taking her link to her magic away from her, sending her basically into this coma. Tristan and I are working on bringing her out of it but it is a slow process,” Julius stated.
Wing nodded. “What is that bond you mentioned?”
“The bond is hard to describe, it’s spiritual, emotional, physical, and deeply intimate but to those who share it, words don’t really do it justice, though it can not be obtained without absolute trust.”
“And if you don’t?”
“You and the person who you are doing the bond with . . . will die. There is only one person who survived a break but he paid for it years later with his life.” Julius said.
“So who was it?”

“The founder of the Ancients, he was killed ten years into his reign as Supreme Ancient,” Julius replied.
“Ouch, so he founded that order, he was not someone who could trust or be trusted?”
“Exactly, if I was aware of Kala’s presence before they killed her Necromancer escorts and kidnapped her only to send her out to the wastelands where I lived to die, I would have made sure she was protected better than she was. Sadly, I knew only after the fact,” Julius replied, as he stood up and stretched. “Why don’t you sit here and hold her hand, she’ll appreciate that?”
Wing looked at him shocked. “You don’t mind me sitting in your seat?”
Julius shook his head. “No, I sat there long enough for my back to start complaining about it. I need to stand up for a bit.”
Wing nodded and sat by Kala taking her hand into his. It felt odd seeing her sleeping so quietly with another beside her. He looked at her as he rubbed his thumb over her hand that he held. “I’m here, Kala, I’m here now.”
Julius leaned against the wall watching the scene, on alert just in case, she woke and saw her attacker instead of her future mate. When the minutes went by and nothing happened, he relaxed his stance against the wall.
Wing turned to look at him. “When will she awaken?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t think waking up quickly is good, her mind needs to heal though her body has recovered.”
“So it will take time for her to awaken?”
“Yes,”
“They were really bad the Ancients to have done this to her.”
“She’s lucky that Tristan got to her when he did, she would have died otherwise.”
Wing’s eyes went wide in shock. “How long did she have before she would have?”
“Maybe at most another hour.”
Wing growled low. “I hope they are all dead, every single one of them in all of their temples around the planet, if not, they better run and hide,”
Julius raised an eyebrow, the feeling he was getting from him was the same when the flash plains heir got angry, was Wing the flash plains heir like his brother the heir to Sunset Valley? “Why so angry? Tristan made sure of that, he unintentionally targeted all of the other temples with his spell,”
“They’re all dead?” Wing asked, as his anger started to fade.

Julius nodded. “He didn’t designated the spell’s locale to be just that temple, but all temples of the Ancients.”
Wing gulped as the statement sunk in, “How powerful is Tristan?”
“Very powerful and very well trained.”
Wing took several deep breaths before he calmed down as he turned his attention back to Kala and Tristan. “He’s not pure avian?”
Julius shook his head. “No, he’s not even an avian but a Saurian,”
Wing turned to look at Tristan. “So that’s what a Saurian looks like.”
“Never seen one before?” Julius asked.
“No,” Wing replied, as he looked at the Saurian that laid next to his mate. Wing reached out and moved some of Tristan’s hair from his face and made sure that it would not get into his way again.
“Really? You see Raptrins all the time, they are feathered Saurians, not Avians.”
“That’s different, he’s pure, they’re mixed species,” Wing said.
“Suscans are mixed, Raptrins are pure, you can tell by their beaks.”
“How can you tell?” Wing was very interested in this.
“I’ll show you, come with me,” Julius pushed himself off of the wall and headed for the door.
“But Kala and Tristan?” Wing asked, as he glanced back at them.
“They’ll be fine. Come on, you got a lesson to learn,” Julius said as he headed out of the room.
Wing nodded and followed Julius up to one of the observation balconies and Julius started pointing out the beak differences to Wing. When Julius had finished explaining, Wing has gotten the gist of it. Pure Raptrins had a slightly narrower beak with a distinct hook to it, Raptrins who were mixed with Suscan had a less of a hook with a black tip, Raptrins with Ducks had a slightly wider bill with a minimal hook or inherited the duck bill, Raptrins mixed with non feathered Saurians usually had scales with feather like patterns.
Wing looked at Julius. “But what if the Raptrin mixed with another that was of mixed bloodlines of Saurian and Suscan? How would they look?”
“That would be more of a coin toss, for Saurians their dominant genetics are for scales but Raptrins normally is for the beak since their feathers are also closer to scales then a ducks feathers.”
“So they could easily look like Tristan or you or like Lola,” Wing asked.
“Exactly, it really depends on how lucky the parents are with the offspring,” Julius replied, as he placed his elbows on the railing looking at all the students as they hurried to their next class or to the study hall in the library. “So are you curious about anything else about them?”
“Why do they seem so scary to people?”
“Pure free will, most people don’t know what it is but the fact that Doves seem to follow no predestined line of fate or casual puts them on edge. To non-Doves they are completely unpredictable and that is what scares them at their core, even if they do not realize it. At the same time if you can step back from that fear and learn a bit about them they have set laws and customs that make them seem much less chaotic.”
“What is pure free will?”
“Pure free will is being able to make decisions based on what really is and no some higher power tying to guide you like a pawn in it’s own game.”
“What are the higher powers?” Wing asked.
“Guardians, Immortals, land spirits. Though for a few Doves there are some exceptions since they have made a deal with the land spirits though neither exerts direct control over the other.”
“So where does that make Kala and Tristan?”
“They can not use their powers on Doves, their immune to it, but Doves at the same time respect them since they are Pillars of Magic and have never been a threat to them.”
“So Kala and Tristan are respected by the Doves?”
Julius nodded. “They are respected by a lot of other species and guilds,”
“Other species and guilds?”
“The schools don’t teach about the other species of the universe or the space guilds, aren’t they?” Julius asked.
“Not in the schools that I attend,” Wing replied.
Just as Julius opened his mouth, he swung around facing the direction of the guest rooms. “Tristan is waking,”
Wing started to smile. “Then, Kala is not too far behind?”
“Possibly, but come, you need to meet Tristan,” Julius replied as they hurried towards the guest room where Kala and Tristan were in.
Wing followed Julius back to Kala’s room to find Tristan hand propped up on the bed rubbing his eyes groggily.
Julius smiled. “Welcome back to the world of the living, Tristan,”
Tristan glanced up at him and yawned. “How long was I out for?”
“About a week, good thing the spell got stabilized since you passed out before finishing.”
“Ugh,” He lowered his head. “Tarisn stabilized it, didn’t she?”
“No, Catherine did,” Julius replied.
“Ah, I thought I was prepared for it, guess I needed backup.”
“On this, you did. Thankfully, Catherine was there to stabilized the spell or Summer Rokfeather would be dead,”
Tristan nodded grimly. “But as for a second there was no one I could call on, Pillars must work with Pillars. Kala is unconscious and Zahra nowhere to be found.”
“For now, that is, Tristan. There may be a day when all three Pillars will be together again,” Julius replied.
“I’d ask when but I know you wouldn’t tell me.”
“I look forward to seeing Tyriel again.”
“I would love to meet my ancestor,”
“You would like him, Tristan,”
“I didn’t think he was still alive.”
“He is, though his strength is weakening, you may one day become more then just a standing pillar.”
“I’ll be more than an honorary Pillar but a true Pillar?” Tristan asked.
“It will depend on Tyriel and his decision for his heir.”
Wing spoke, “There is also the chance that Tristan might not be around when Tyriel returns,”
Tristan turned his head to look at the white drake. “And who would you be?”
Julius placed his arm in front of Wildwing. “Tristan, this is Kala’s mate to be Wildwing Flashblade,”
“A Flashblade? I thought they were all deceased,”
“They are not, just not as visible as they once were.”
“How many are there?”
“Sadly, you could count them on one hand, Tristan, that’s how many there are,” Julius stated.
“They’re that rare,” Julius nodded. “Wow, are there any girls?”
“No sisters, my sister if she was not born dead, would be the first girl in over a hundred births,” Wildwing replied.
“Just boys then, that has to be hard, no real representation off world and slowly dying out.”
“Mom is hoping that my marriage with Kala will produce the daughters we need for our family, but with her being unconscious, it means more chances of our line dying before I’m able to mate with her and hopefully my seeds are valid to her eggs,” Wing replied.
Tristan smiled. “She’ll be awake soon and it be a few years before you and she mate,”
“Are you sure?”
“Very sure, we had a long talk, she’s just sorting a few of her last remaining emotional wounds out.”
Wing went to the bed and bent over Kala and kissed her bill before stepping back. “I hope I’m here when she wakes.”
“That I can not predict, but I doubt she will leave for her studies without seeing you.”
“I will want to see her before she leaves for her studies, hopefully, I might be able to come and visit her when there is a chance for a visit,” Wing stated.
“I’m sure that the Master Healer will allow you to come and visit your mate,” Tristan replied.
“Considering she is his mother, I can’t see her arguing,” Julius said with a grin.
“You mean he’s Tarisn’s boy?”
“Yeah, her mate is a Flashblade.”
“No wonder she disappeared years ago, Catherine made a good call.”
“She did, she got two good looking boys from her mate, but sadly no girls,”
“That’s sad, hopefully, she will get lucky and get one soon,” Tristan replied. “I should go and check on Summer, she should be awake by now or more like in bed with her mate within her,”
“You might want to check the medical bay first before knocking on Nazan’s door,” Julius said.
Tristan nodded and got out of bed and started to look for his clothes and finding them a few minutes later. After he got clothed, he headed out of the room towards the medical bay.
Julius looked at Wing. “You can take his place in bed with her, if you want, Wing?”
Wing looked over at him a bit shocked. “Are you sure it would be okay?”
“Yes, Kala will appreciate the closeness,” He stated. “Or I could take the place?”
“No, I would like to be beside her, it’s all I can do for her right now.”
Julius watched as the young drake removed his clothes, leaving only his underwear on as he slipped under the covers and wrapped his arms around Kala’s waist. Julius and Wing started to talk about his life in Keltor.
~~~~~~~~

Tristan walked into the medical bay and seeing a closed bay walked over to it to see Summer sleeping in the bed as Tarisn checked her vitals. “How is she?”
“Stable, though you might want to finish sealing your spell, Catherine’s was only a temporary fix.”
“I was afraid of that, thankfully this should not take that long, she’s a couple year younger then I had planned but beyond the seal and dispel, the worst of it has already been done.”
“So she’ll be okay once it is all done?” Tarisn asked, as she watched him write something on Summer’s skin and then started to cast a spell around her and by her knowledge of healing spells it was a spell to finalize the aging spells that he had started earlier that week.
“Yes, all but for her heart, that is a side effect of the whole thing. Nazan should be able to be within her tomorrow morning and she should be awake by then,” Tristan replied.
Tarisn looked at him. “That will be after I decide if she can have him in her, Tristan.”
“You really are overcautious aren’t you Tarisn?”
“I should considering Nazan’s last wife died because he had touched her sexually and she had a problem and a bio-healer tried to heal her but she ended up dying right after she gave birth to Nami, his firstborn daughter who died mere hours later.” Tarisn stated. “I doubt Nazan wants to bury another wife before he gains a daughter.”
“Alright you have a point, just give me a little bit to finish up.” Tristan spent the next four hours finishing the spells before he looked at Tarisn. “She should wake in the morning and you might want to keep all males away from here because once she wakes, she’ll be horny and Nazan should be summoned immediately and you better get one of the side rooms ready as she’ll probably shove Nazan in there and shoving his erection within her as quickly as she can get it erect,”
Tarisn crossed her arms. “I know she will be in an almost permanent lust when not with child but she still can’t until I say so.”
“I know, just warning you,” Tristan stated, as he finished washing his hands before heading for the mess hall to get some food.
Tarisn sighed and shook her head, Tristan always seemed to tease her about being cautious.
~~~~~~~~
The next morning, Tarisn walked into the medical bay to see Nazan standing at the covered bed of his mate. By one look at his pants, she knew Summer was most likely awake and he wanted her now. “Not till I get a look at her, Nazan.”
Nazan turned to look at Tarisn as she walked past him to see Summer awake in bed looking at him with hunger in her eyes. “You always know how to kill the moment, Tarisn,”
“I’d rather make sure thee is no complications for both your sakes.”
Nazan nodded as he stepped back from the bay and headed for the corridor knowing that she will come out when her examination is over with. He started to think where should he go with Summer to have mad passionate love with her without having someone intrude on their sessions and he knew Cleo would try at least once. He smiled, the best place was his own family estate, even Collin had a hard time getting in there.
It was about an hour later, Tarisn stepped out and spoke, “You can go in and see her. She’s in the clear for relations today, Nazan.”
“Good, but it will not be done here. We’ll be way too loud for the walls to handle our screams of pleasure,” Nazan replied, as he walked past her.
Tarisn thought about what he said and was about to ask what did he mean by that, when the door opened up again showing Nazan and Summer who was fully dressed racing out of the medical bay and down the hallway. She knew what he meant now as their first rounds were going to be loud and everyone will be hearing it if they were in the building. She headed to the office to see if Rowain returned with her son yet before she would go to Kaladan’s room to see how she was doing.
~~~~~~~
“Can we slow down, Nazan?” Summer asked, as they ran down the street together.

“Unless you want to screw in the streets, Summer, slowing down is not an option, besides we’re almost home,” Nazan stated, as he glanced at her.
Summer glanced ahead to see the Rokfeather house coming closer, that spurred her to run even faster. She glanced behind her. “Catch me if you can and if you do, you can have your way with me,”
Nazan got a smirk on his face as he started to speed up his pace trying to catch her and it was only after they got into the house did he grab her and threw her over his shoulder and with a chuckle started to walk up the stairs. “Giles, no interruptions at all. My mate and I will be busy for quite some time today and tonight,”
Giles bowed and made a nod, he had not seen Nazan so happy in a long time. He went to the front door and closed it and made sure that it was locked as he went about his duties.
Nazan placed Summer on his bed and started to remove his clothes as fast as he could as Summer did the same. “Summer, I wanted to make love to you for so many days it ached.”
Summer looked at him as her hands ran over his chest as her hand went to his growing erection and started to stroke it fully awake. “I know, I want you so much right now. I want you to fill me with your erection and give me the seeds to grant me the chance to give you a daughter,”
Nazan moaned as he felt her hands on his erection. “Summer, I want you.”
“I know,” Summer whispered, as she claimed his erection in her mouth and started to suckle it making it dripping wet with her saliva.
Nazan thrust his erection deeper into her mouth as she sucked it. “Summer, I want to fill you with my seeds that are coming,”
Summer smiled as she pulled away from him and opened her legs to him as he kissed her lips nudging her back against the bed itself as he opened her inner lips and with her hands helped him guide his erection into the warm, moist tunnel of her inner lips filling her fully with his erection.
They started to mate passionately and it was not long before Nazan was crying out as he filled her cavity with his seeds as she cried out with pleasure.
~~~~~~~~
Tarisn knew by now Kala would probably be awake as she headed to the guest room which held her future daughter-in-law. She knocked and entered after hearing a male voice granting her entrance. She saw Julius sitting there reading a history book to a sleeping Kala and much to her surprise Wing was lying in bed with Kala listening to Julius read the book. “I didn’t know you were here, Wing. Why didn’t you come to the medical bay to see me?”
“I didn’t know you were here, mom, I came right from school,” Wing replied, as he propped himself on his arm as he laid his hand in Kala’s. “So when will Dive come home from his trip?”
“In another week, he’ll probably stay the night here before coming back home,” Tarisn stated.
“Okay,” Wing replied, as he turned his attention back to Kala and then to Julius.
Tarisn smiled warmly, she had worried that Julius would make Wing uncomfortable but instead Wing was more concerned about Kala. “Wing, are you okay with Julius being in the same room with you and Kala?”
“Why shouldn’t I be? He’s her friend and support system,” Wing replied.
“Wing, I’m more than just that, if she will have me and if you do not mind me doing so, I would be her second mate,” Julius stated.
“Second mate?” Wing asked.
“You are her first mate and the one who would give her children, I will be her second mate if she accepts me but I cannot give her children as I am sterile.” Julius said. He noticed the look in Wing’s eyes. “I am not able to give her children as I walk a path not many people want to walk.”
Wing blinked not really understanding. “It’s like that bond thing between her and Tristan, I have no magic so she needs a second mate who can help so this doesn’t happen again right?”
Julius nodded. “You’re not too far off the mark, and are correct, Tristan nearly killed himself because he did not have backup.”
Wing nodded. “Protect Kala where I can not, I don’t want to see her like this again.”
Julius nodded his head in agreement as he turned to his book. “We should continue with the lesson, Wing,”
Wing nodded as Julius started to read the book once again. Tarisn listened for a few moments before slipping out of the room to see Tristan standing there. “Wildwing is still there?”
Tarisn nodded, “He’s with Kala.”
“Good, his presence should settle the rest in her mind.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Catherine took a deep breath, she hated dealing with Dove politics but she needed to tell Collin face to face and without the Lords listening. Unfortunately, she was stuck at the doors to the great hall as the Lords and Ladies pestered her mate about the trivialities of their empire. The guards telling her that she couldn’t enter yet was the final straw, she was no Dove and never would be she was a Seabird and it was time these damned Doves realized just what that meant. She hit both guards hard in the guts before they knew what happened and put them to the ground and flung open the hall doors. She was not going to be polite and used the Dove dialect, if they didn’t like plain Suscan then too bad for them.
“KELLIN, WE NEED TO CHAT! You can leave the penny weights and their petty affairs outside. And you got some pompous guards who think they can tell me when I can or can not see my mate, I don’t care if you their big black, your my mate and when I want to see you I will see you and the rest can go lick their wounded pride elsewhere.”
Collin turned to his people and snapped off a word as he locked eyes with Catherine, he loved when she did things like this. Many of the Doves forget who his mate is often referred her as his Suscan mate like she was some concubine and not his legal wife. His Catherine is the Seabird fleet commander, he was her mate, his empire was nothing compared to the trade empire she ran, his people prospered with commerce because she let them. The Seabirds held no land but even greater empires were at their mercy for food, weapons, medication and other things needed through commerce. Once the doors closed and the hall empty as requested, Collin smiled as he wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her close to him. “My apologies my love, about the treatment of my forgetful Doves,” He kissed her neck gently, taking in her scent that he loved. “So why are you here? Are you interested in another romp on my chair in here?”
Catherine chuckled. “No, Kellin, something even better has happened to us,”
“And what would that be, another Flashblade appears and is like Nosedive Flashblade a founding line?” Collin asked, as he looked at her with an expecting smile on his face.
“Not this time, but just as good. I’m with child and I hope for a son.”
It took him a moment to realize what she had just said, as it dawned on his face. “A child? We’re expecting another child?”
“Yes, consider ourselves blessed.”
“May we have twin boys or perhaps twin boy and girl, another girl for your side of the family and a boy to take the chain from Lolita and Rowain,” Collin replied.

“That would truly be best for us both.”
“Indeed, I will hope for both a boy and a girl for us to have,” Collin pulled her even closer to him as he ran his hand over her hair. “I never told anyone this but if it comes to it, I think Lola would be better as the big black than anything else. She has the mindset of a big black but also the sharp mind of a Suscan merchant which the Doves may need one day,”
“You know it will hurt her.”
“I know, but there are less and less Doves born each year, and most fall to sickness. I fear they are coming to an end.”
“And it is my daughter who could bring more Doves into the ranks? How do you think she can pull that off with the old birds in the council? They are resisting your attempts to bring new blood to the ranks of the Doves,” Catherine stated.
“I know, but I’ve already put feelers out in space via some of my old ties, I can only hope that Lola will be able to make those ties turn out to bring more fresh blood to our ranks,” Kellin whispered.
“Are you sure they will come into our ranks?”
“All I can hope is that they will or in another seven generations of Doves, we will be extinct.” Kellin replied.
“Its that bad?” Catherine asked.
“Yes, even though the old birds in the council know this, they still resist my pleas to look for mates to their sons in space, instead of looking amongst our people. We need new and fresh bloodlines mixed in with the Doves. The girl Summer, I have no problems with as that brings fresh bloodlines into our ranks. Nazan did tell me that one of her children will be Dove, so the Skyhawk side of his Dove blood will live on in their child, but the rest will be of the Rokfeather bloodline.”
“Nazan is pretty level headed. Rokfeather has been a strong pillar for commerce in this sector.”
“I am hoping that with more commerce coming to this planet that people from the outer worlds will come and decide to take up residency here and marry our people, but it has not happened yet,” Kellin went to the window overlooking the courtyard. “I doubt that I will live to see that day come,”
“You know the old feather dusters want Rowain,”
Kellin nodded. “Which is why I left him in Nazan’s care instead of here.”
Catherine looked at him. “So you really are working on Lola to be the next Big Black?”
“Yes, she is, I’m afraid is what the Doves need,”
“You know she will fight you,”
“I am aware and I know there’s very little I can do about it, in the end it’s up to Rowain to convince her but I agreed with Nazan not to interfere with that.”
“So if Rowain doesn’t convince her to be the Big Bad, then what?”
“As much as I hate to do it, I will have to threaten those she cares about – the Flashblade boys, both of them.” Kellin replied. “I hate to threaten them, to get her to accept her role as the Big Bad, to keep both Flashblades from becoming Doves,”
“You know she will hate you for that,”
“I know,”
“Why don’t you just tell her the truth? How bad can it be to let her know and understand your reasons.”
“I’m still at war with myself Catherine, as Collin the throne of the Doves belongs to Rowain, it was suppose to be his after my sister had passed on but he was too young and none of them had faced the trials. As Kellin I see the bigger picture that Nazan does, Rowain has the ability to bring peaceful relations for the Doves and the outside, but Lola has the strength for change, both are suitable to take the throne. The Doves fear change, it should be as it has always been done and Lola does not make it easy for them to accept her. For her to be accepted to be a force of change I must first get her to be accepted by the Doves as a Shadow.”
“Don’t you think that they accept her as a Shadow with what she brought back to the Doves? A missing bloodline returned to the Doves.”
“But he will only become one of us if she becomes Black Dove.”
“Now that we know of them, if he doesn’t come to the ranks, perhaps his offsprings will come,”
Kellin turned to look at her. “That might be a possibility, if he doesn’t become a Dove, one of his offsprings could become Dove,”
“But that does not solve the problem does it?”
Kellin shook his head. “You’re right, a generation or two there may be no more then a handful of Doves left, bloodlines have grown weak.”
“Why can you not force the changes?”
“I have not the will for it nor the strength or truly the support, like I said, I’m only Black Dove because Rowain was not old enough to be back then, even the old feather dusters see him as the true Black.”
“Maybe Rowain can get the old feather dusters to work with you to get new bloodlines into the ranks of the Doves?”
“That’s why I left him in Nazan’s care and made Nazan the Crimson. They used me as a vessel but they fear Nazan. Pathetic isn’t it Catherine? I’m at the top and have no real power. I never could defy my own father, your mother put him in his place for us to be together. Nazan not even being of council class could stand his ground against a real Black Dove without fear of death.”
“Then why don’t you just give up and let your sickness take you?”
“I may be weak but I have enough pride not to let Death have that satisfaction.”
“Very well, I’ll tell you something interesting though, Lola is not compatible with any current Dove, there is an 8% compatibility with the Flashblade boys, but a 50% compatibility is the Thunderbeak boy. though his bloodline is probably the most dangerous to the Dove people being a great grand child of Death and a child of DuCaine.”
“Thunderbeak? The child that Nosedive and Lola came here to get my help in finding is a Thunderbeak child?”
“Yes, the sister to Canard Thunderbeak is the one they were searching for,”
“I heard the honorary Pillar found her and took care of all Ancients?”
“Only the ones who were twisted in the head like the ones in the Keltor Temples, the other Ancients are free to do what they want since the death of their Supreme Ancient, it leaves Kaladan Thunderbeak as their leader, she is to be Nosedive’s older brother’s mate, that I have already arranged. Her brother is thus far the most likely to give her children.”
“I will not do anything to arrange a marriage between them till he proves himself to me,” Kellin replied. “And that means no mating her either, not till he proves himself to me.”
“But you will allow him the chance to date her?” Catherine asked.
“Maybe,” Kellin said. “He has to prove himself to me.”
“More like he has to gain status in either space or the ranks of a guild here on this planet,”
Kellin nodded. “Space will probably be his best bet,”
“Space is dangerous for him Kellin, they will try to unseal the Nightshade blood, Death protects that line as long as the blood is sealed. I thought you’d jump at the chance that have a McDove that Death could not kill.”
Kellin looked at her. “As much as I want that, I don’t see it happening any time soon,”
“You have the chance if you trust me.”
“Then you have to promise to outlive me Catherine. If you pass before me I will make Lolita into a Dove and refuse your choice.”
“You are being selfish Kellin.”
“Yeah but I want to keep you by my side till the end.”
“But that might not be possible, my dearest heart,”
“You know without you Collin will win, and I will just disappear to being a memory.”
“I remember that gift as well though most do not know it, it was the day after your sister died, he had Tristan split your soul using his own blood and life force as the power for that spell. He understood that between Doves had different rules then with outsiders and Doves.”
Kellin laughed. “He’s made a point of breaking and bending them for a long time, win or lose with both you and him by my side all should be well.”
Catherine went into his arms. “And this baby will be by your side too.”
Kellin wrapped his arms around her and placed his head on her head. “That too,”
Catherine smiled. “You seem to be overworked, why not take a rest while they will not come near?”
Kellin got that wicked look in his eyes as he hoisted her up into his arms and headed for the secret passage way leading to the tallest tower with Catherine giggling like a schoolgirl.
~~~~~~~

Summer laid there in bed, as Nazan sat there looking down at her. For once in his life, since his first mate, he felt like his heart had been healed from the loss of his wife and first born. He shifted to his feet as he grabbed his robe and pulled it on.
“Where are you heading?” Summer whispered.
“To get some food for us,” Nazan bent down and kissed her lips before he headed off to the kitchen to get food for them both.
As soon as the door closed, Summer placed her hand on her belly. She focused her mind on her womb and saw an egg moving towards her womb and she knew by how she felt that there was a child coming soon.
Giles looked up from his book when Nazan entered the kitchen. “Should I ready a nursery? or will a bite to eat do for now?”
“A bite to eat will do for the time being, Giles,” Nazan replied, with a smile.
Giles got up and started to make some food for them to eat. “I have not seen you this happy since your first mate came into your life. Summer must mean a lot to you to make you look this happy.”
“It’s like a second chance, I hope not to mess up this time.”
Giles nodded. “Never breath this to the excuse for feathers Kellin, but he was right on this one.”
Nazan smiled. “He will never know you said that, Giles.” He smiled as he looked at the ceiling. “You know I never took a female since my second wife. I thought I never have someone in my life again.”
“You were always the bachelor of the group of Raptrins on the station and here, the cold one that all the hens tried to get in their beds, but you were always politely refused them. They may get jealous of Summer,” Giles replied.

“Let them be jealous, I’m her’s forever,”

“Not officially, Nazan, not till she gives you a daughter,” Giles reminded him.
“I know, and there are already arrangements with Catherine and Collin to teach and protect her.”
Giles smiled, as he finished fixing the meal for them both. “If she’s anything like what I saw before with her desire to be your mate, anyone who dares tries to harm her, will see the Lady Death.”
“I’d prefer them to see my blade first.”
“She may not have you around to protect her, especially if ‘she’ sends an assassin after her because of what she gave to you,” Giles replied.
“Why do you think I want my first daughter completely out of her reach, Kellin and Catherine can do that.”
Giles nodded. “True, as long as she is not marked by the Doves, I’m certain that Catherine could hide here, after all what is another Suscan on a Suscan ship?”
“True, Summer will be able to hide in plain sight,” Nazan replied. He picked up the tray and thanked him and headed for his bedroom to his mate.
Nazan opened the door with his butt as he swung around to find Summer not in bed. He placed the tray on the bed and went to the closet to see if she was there looking at the clothes he brought out from the attic to find it empty. He went to the bathroom and found her kneeling before the toilet. “Are you okay, Summer?”
Summer turned to look at him. “Yes, my stomach didn’t agree with the juice we had last night before we went off to bed,”
“You should be a bit more careful with what you eat since it can cause bad reactions, I’ll make sure Giles get more avian friendly food. I tend to forget a Raptrin diet would be unhealthy for an Orithian.”
“Its okay, it was really my fault, I totally forgot that I’m not Raptrin,” Summer replied, as she rinsed out her mouth and kissed him. “So where were we before we fell asleep?”
Nazan just chuckled before lifting her up into his arms. “I think we were here,” as he claimed her bill with his in a passionate kiss.
Back in the kitchen, Giles went back to his book as from the sounds he could hear coming from the bedchambers, he was not going to be needed for a while as a smile crept to his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dive was not sure how Rowain had managed it but they had moved from the hotel to stay the last three days in the old guest wing of the Flashblade estate. He had also lifted the curfew on him and Tensu as long as they did not give Dive away and did not leave the estate. He looked up at the stars, Rowain and Tensu were fast asleep but he had a hard time falling asleep.
“What brings a hatchling like yourself to the gardens at this hour?”
Dive turned to see a Saurian with dark orange scales with horns curving around his head, he was wearing the red robes of the head servant of the Flashblade house, though most has assumed it was for show from the museum co-coordinator, Rowain had pointed out that his family had served the Flashblade’s back in the day and to this day remain loyal. “I couldn’t sleep sir, so I decided to explore a bit.”
“Places like this put many young Doves on edge.” he said, as he sat on a bench by the rose bushes near a pond. “Sometimes though in this garden you can hear echos of times gone by.”
Dive nodded. “It feels comforting to me.”
“Tomorrow night will be a full moon, the garden is exceptionally beautiful then but it is also advised not to enter it since the echos are loudest then. Though I don’t expect you to heed that warning.” he said with a smile. “I have lived here all my life so no matter how hard you have been trying to hide I am already aware since the time when the valley claimed you.”
“You know that I am a Flashblade?” Dive asked, shocked.
“Yes, you look just like the Lady Asp, like what her son would look like if she bore one,” he replied.
“Do you mind not letting Rowain know that you know?”
“I will be quiet, just mind the echos.”
“I’ll mind them,” Dive replied. “Are the others aware that I am not a Blackblade but a real Flashblade?”
“Only those from the lines which have served your family since the beginning. It’s one of the few privileges we have since there must never be doubt on who is the rightful heir.”
“Like drinking the sap from the tree of life, you have to be a Flashblade for it not to kill you,” Dive said.
“Any Flashblade can do that, be it Dove or plains.”
“Really?”
The Saurian nodded. “Those of Flashblades blood are children of the tree, so it’s sap will not harm them.”
“I saw the priests at the Tree give the sap to an imposter and it killed him. It tastes like sweet water to me,”
The Saurian turned to look at Dive. “That confirms my feelings.” He smiled. “It is good to know that there is a Dove Flashblade still around.”
“Yeah, though I’m not sure if this place will ever be home.”
“That is true, you’d need Asp’s sword for that.”
“But I don’t have the sword, I don’t even know where it is and if I did, I would keep it hidden from those people who would try to steal it from me,” Dive replied, as he looked at the pond.
“Then maybe you should come back here tomorrow night and listen to the echos.”
Dive looked at the pond before looking at the servant of his family’s ancestor’s home. “I think I will.” He got up, gave him a smile and headed back to the mansion.
He watched as Dive walked back into the mansion before heading for his chambers after a few minutes of watching the pond and the sky. He knew the young Lord will find what he needs.
Tensu was waiting for him when he go back. “Where did you head off to?”
“Just went to the garden for some fresh air.”
“Are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you okay with staying here?” Tensu asked.
“Yes, I’m okay with it.” Dive replied. “One day, I will be living here,”
“Just be careful, and don’t get too attached to this place for now.”

“I won’t.” Dive whispered. “We should head for bed, long day ahead for us,”
Tensu nodded, “It will be, still don’t know why Rowain decided this.”
“Same, I’m not even sure what is going through his head. He knows this land could at any moment spill the fruit on my real identity to everyone,” Dive replied, as he climbed under the covers.
“Yeah, but we will just have to hope he knows what he is doing.”
“True,”
Dive nodded and curled up in bed and fell asleep. Tensu waited till the sounds of Dive’s breathing went from deep to shallow before he closed his own eyes and drifted off to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~
The next morning, Tensu found Dive at the door of Rowain and his stance was not pleased.
Tensu paused, and listened. “Let me get this straight, you brought us here because you didn’t trust that I could walk away of my own free will and that I would be trapped by the priests.”
“Yes, call it a premonition that you will not want to leave this place.”
“Rowain McDove, you have no idea how I can control myself. I will be able to leave this island of my own free will, can you say that about your true ties to the last name of McDove, that of your mother’s last name, can you walk away from becoming the next Black Dove?” Dive growled.
“I could but that would hurt Lola, in my case Dive it’s a matter of duty and respect for her that I don’t walk away from it.”
“Then, don’t doubt me on being able to walk away from here. I swore to Lola that I would always have her back,” Dive replied.

Rowain looked shocked at him. “When . . . did you promise that to her?”

“A day before Nazan put us in the courtyard. I swore to her that I would always have her back no matter where she went or what she became, I would always have her back, so where she goes . . . I go,” Dive stated firmly.
“Good, means I don’t have to worry about her as much.”
“But she worries about you though, your love life as she says sucks, you need to find yourself a mate,”
Rowain shrugged. “She will come when she’s ready to come into my life, not a moment before and not a moment later, just when she is to come,”
“With a dagger to your throat no doubt.”
“That I would look forward to.” Rowain replied, with a grin on his beak before he glanced to the side to see Tensu standing there. “Yes Tensu?”
“Just got up and was wondering if you two had already had breakfast.”
Rowain shook his head. “No, got into a discussion with Nosedive,”
Tensu nodded. “I’ll go get some food from the kitchen,”
“I’ll go with Tensu, since I can’t eat the same as you two.”
Rowain nodded, as he finished pulling on his boots before heading out towards the kitchen to see Dive and Tensu talking with the chefs about what they’re making for breakfast.
“Anything good on the menu, Tensu?” Rowain asked.
“A few, they decided to make Lady Asp’s favorite breakfast as this is the anniversary of her birth,” Tensu replied, looking at him.
“I see, so that mean the festival of lights is tonight as well, unfortunately it is not celebrated outside of Dublin since most would not understand.”
Dive looked to Rowain. “Festival of lights?”
“It started here in Sunset Valley to celebrate the balance of life and death in their eternal dance creating echoes in time. Some say you may meet an important ghost of one’s past or one to come.”
“So anything could happen on this night?” Dive asked.

“Yes, anything.” Rowain replied. Tensu looked at Dive and then to Rowain as he noticed something odd surrounding Dive. Rowain turned to look at the chef. “Be sure that we get something that suits our dietary needs,”

“Of course, my people knows exactly what all three of you need,” The chef replied. “You will not be getting sick over my dishes,”
“Be careful Dive, tonight is going to be dangerous.” Tensu said as they walked back to their room.

“I know,” Dive whispered. “Very dangerous.”
Tensu watched as Dive went into the bathroom to wash up. “But for whom, Dive, Rowain or me, I just do not know. The web that I see is not visible to me, it is like the path has become shadowed to me.”
Rowain looked at Tensu. “You can’t see what happens as her Will is strong on this night and we are residing within her home, Tensu.”
“I know, she’s been dead for a long time but until there is an heir she is still lady of the land, I still find it odd that she rules even in death.”
“Just remember, Tensu, the Flashblades was a spiritual leader, so even in death they can still hold much power over a place.”
“Or a person?”
“In theory, though not something I want to test.”
“Well, I hope we don’t have to face it if it does happen,” Tensu replied, as he glanced off at Dive who was coming out of the bathroom.
Dive looked to Tensu, “So what is on our lesson plan today?”
“In this case Dive, you and Tensu have the day to yourselves until dinner time which marks the start of the festival of lights. At that point be on your guard but you two will light the candle in the central garden.”
“Why the central garden, Rowain?”
“That one represents the Flashblade family, I already arranged for you two to do it.”
“Rowain, isn’t that a bit dangerous for Nosedive considering that he’s a true Flashblade?” Tensu asked.
“No, no one thinks of it since usually a child from the council ranks is always a rep, even Lola was one year.”
“But wouldn’t it be obvious when he does it?” Tensu asked.
“If the land keeps its promise it won’t be a problem, but it will be good for both of you.”
“But what if Dive cannot keep it silent, then what?” Tensu asked. “Would we have to do damage control as in claim that the land is possessing this child thinking him as the long lost Flashblade heir?”
“We will tend to that if and when it happens until that time, Tensu, we act as if we do not know,” Rowain replied.
“I just hope nothing bad happens tonight,” Tensu replied, as he headed off to join Dive at the window overlooking the Flashblade land.
“I hope so too, Tensu,” Rowain whispered silently, as he went back to reading his notes that he did over the past few days considering the trip they did and what his thoughts were about Dive.
Dive looked over to Tensu, “Since we have the day free did you want to go see her grave?”
“Sure, but they probably are decorating it since it is her birthday,” Tensu replied.
“It is?”
“Yeah, the festival falls on the day of the ruling Flashblade’s birthday, since there was no other after Asp, it always falls on her day.”
“I would like to see what they do to decorate her grave, before everyone else sees it,” Dive said, as he turned towards the door.
“Okay, lets go before they start decorating it,” Tensu replied, as they hurried off towards the Flashblade cemetery.
When they got there, Dive felt a shiver go down his spine, even though she was gone the grave still held a strong presence. “It feels strange here, its like she’s gone but she’s not,”
Tensu nodded. “Most believe she defied death and haunts here.”

Dive spoke, “Probably waiting for her heir to be born and come here to state his claim to her land, so she could finally rest at last with her family before her.”
“That is another speculation, no one is really sure.”
“True, but hopefully, she will be when her heir is found,” Dive replied, as he looked back at the grave itself.
“I pray that day will come soon,” Tensu said, as he looked at the grave.
“Don’t pray too hard, Tensu, you never know who might be listening.”
Tensu chuckled. “Well alright, but you know what I mean.”
“Yes, I do,” Dive said, as they walked away from the grave to head for the orchard to look at the trees that were full of fruit waiting for the harvest period to come.
Tensu sighed. “So do you think the Big Black will be around for the festival?”
Dive shrugged. “Don’t know, maybe he will come. I never attended one of these festivals before.”
Tensu nodded. “Normally he comes since he normally puts the roses on her grave.”
Dive nodded silently as they started to walk away from the grave site to look at the others. Dive noticed that they all had some sort of marking on their gravestones. “What are those markings?”
Tensu looked at them. “Oh, those are different personal marks, kinda like a signature since long ago each council rank has both their family crest and personal mark.”
“Ah, so all of these markings are the Flashblade’s family crest and their personal mark?” Dive asked.
Tensu nodded. “I guess to the outside it is a bit odd, but each personal mark is rather unique.”
“Like the mark on my back?”
“Yes,”
“But I thought the mark was just the crest?”
“Not quite, there is also a personal mark in it as well.”
“What is my personal mark?” asked Dive.
“I’ll show you later tonight after the candle lighting.”
“Okay,”
“So where haven’t we explored here?”
“I think we haven’t explored the orchard, I want to see the trees that is growing here,” Dive stated.
“Well, we are here, lets go,” Tensu smiled, as they started to walk down the row looking at the trees. Dive asking questions about what that tree produces and Tensu replied stating which was which. Dive started to reach for a yellow apple looking fruit, when a hand slapped his hand away. Dive turned to look to see that it was a servant from the house.
“That yellow is poisonous at this stage, you need to look for the red ones, they’re not poisonous,” the servant snapped off.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Then ask someone who does, you need to be more careful.” He snapped. “So why are you two here and not getting yourselves prepared for tonight’s festivities?”
“This is our first festival so we are unsure on what we should do.”
“Well, for one, you should return to the house and get with your parents who probably are working on getting themselves ready, you should follow their lead,” He replied. “Or would you like to explore the orchards for another hour with me as I check the harvestability of the trees?”
“We’ll explore with you, our parents aren’t here.”
“Very well, stay close to me and don’t touch anything unless I tell you too,” He said, as he motioned for them to follow him. He talked about how many trees that the Flashblade family owned and where most of the fruit goes since there is no current Lord or Lady residing there, mainly the fruit would go into space, Keltor and to Dublin Prime.
“So the orchard maintain the Flashblade’s estate?”
“Part of it, the fruit also is used for a special ceremonial wine, something you may learn about when you are older.”
“The fruit makes wine?” Tensu asked.
“Yes it does. We make the wine that is used for the final ritual as it gives the one who is ending it the best wine that the Doves can give,”
“The final ritual?” Dive asked. “What’s that?”
“For now I’ve said too much, ask your parents when you get home.”
“My parents are not . . .,” Dive replied, as he glanced at the ground.
“Who is raising you then?” The servant asked.
“Nazan Skyhawk, he’s a Silverclaw,” Dive said.
“Ask him about the final ritual, for he shall tell you,”
Dive nodded, he had hoped to get more information but apparently the final ritual was something explained among family. He looked at the trees and then noticed that the sun was going lower in the distance.
Tensu tugged at Dive as he too noticed it as well. “We should get back to the house and get ready for the festival.”
“Thank you for the discussion about the orchard,” Dive said. “But we both must be going,”
The servant smiled as both Dive and Tensu ran for the house, he glanced around before walking towards the far side of the orchard and vanishing into thin air.
They hurried up to their rooms where Rowain was waiting for them. “About time you two came back, your festival outfits were dropped off not to long ago so get changed.”
“Yes, sir,” Tensu stated, as he hurried into his room to get changed.
Dive stood there and looked at Rowain. “Sir, can you tell me about the final ritual?”
Rowain turned to look at Dive. “Who told you the name of the final ritual?”
“A servant in the orchard, he said that the wine this house makes is for that final ritual,” Dive replied.

“What does he look like?” Rowain asked. Dive told him as Rowain went out of the chambers with Dive behind him looking for the head of the household. Once, he was found Rowain asked him about the Saurian with the coloring that Dive told him.
“I’m sorry sir, but that was my great great grandfather,” He stated.
“Where can I find him?” Rowain asked.
“He’s in the family crypt like the rest of my ancestors who served the House of Flashblades,”
Rowain nodded and walked away taking Dive back to the chambers without another word. Once within the chamber, Rowain swung towards Dive and Tensu who had just emerged from his room. “Don’t ever go into the orchard without me. What you both saw was one of the grounds’ many ghosts which protects this land from harm,”
“He didn’t seem to mean any harm, he stopped me from eating a poisonous fruit.”
“Doesn’t matter, the ghosts here are not bound by the land’s promises.”
“But he didn’t say anything,” Dive said.
Rowain grabbed Dive by the throat and shoved him hard against the wall, as his red eyes peered from his sunglasses as he growled. “Doesn’t matter, Dive, he could go to those who are receptive to him and they know him. He could tell them that the Blackblade kid is not a Blackblade but a true Flashblade heir to the Dove title of Dove Flashblade. You might have just chained yourself to this land by his stating anything to anyone.”
“But I didn’t and he seemed to think we were just lost children of a Dove family who are here for the festival.”
Rowain shook his head. “You smell of Flashblade, Dive, regardless of the name you take only those of the high ranks can smell the Flashblade on you.”
“Then how do you hide me in Raven’s Court? I’m not listed as a Blackblade there? What’s to stop them from knowing? Or for the buzzards who were there in the council when I first met Collin to spill their beaks?”
“Raven’s Court has a specific set of information controls, and punishments for breaking them, they won’t spill. As for those buzzards you took care of them, since you can stand on equal footing with Collin when needed.”
“So why should you worry so much here?”
Tensu sighed. “Because here is where you can be chained, Raven’s Court and Dublin Prime are not areas the you are bound to by blood.”
“And you can be bound and chained here, Dive, if they know your true ties,” Rowain growled, as he released his hand from around Dive’s throat leaving a red mark around his neck of the tight hold he had on him.
Dive glared at him as he rubbed his throat but he knew Rowain was right. “Just tell me what the final ritual is?”
Rowain looked at him and Tensu. “Come over here and sit down.”
Dive and Tensu walked over to the small table and chairs and took a seat. Rowain took his seat across from them and took a deep breath as if compiling his thoughts. “The final ritual happens when a Dove is injured beyond recovery, terminally ill and in pain, or in the rare cases for political reasons. The final ritual is there for ending their lives in a respectful manner. Usually, it is a family member who helps them perform it and the wine is used to numb their pain and celebrate the life they had lived.”
“And this estate’s wine is made for that sole ritual?” Dive asked.
“Yes, as it is the richest wine that we ever make. This estate is the only one who is allowed to make that wine, none other has that right,” Rowain replied.
“Why only this estate?”
“Because the Flashblades’ were responsibility for the spiritual aspect of Doves’ life and death. Even without any Flashblades it is still the estate’s responsibility,”
“So it goes on regardless of the fact that there is no Dove Flashblade here?” Dive asked.
Rowain nodded, “Then again, they have also been under order to wait for the heir to return, unlikely as it is if they stop the estates’ responsibility it is like giving up hope for the return of the Flashblades.”
“But now that I made my presence known to the council and to anyone who was within the Hall in Dublin Prime, they know the Flashblades are alive,” Dive replied.
“Yes but know who exactly which means their going to make sure this place will be ready when the time comes.”
“You mean they’re working on getting this place ready for my formal return, if Lola becomes the Black Dove?”
Rowain nodded. “Essentially, but also making sure some of the smaller rituals that have been left in the background get performed if they can find out how they are one again.”
Dive nodded silently. “We should get our dress uniforms on and get ready for the festivals.”
“That is advised, and remember be careful of the spirits.”
They both nodded as they hurried off to get dressed. Tensu helped Dive with his dress uniform to make sure that he got everything on correctly. Dive looked in the mirror, even though it was for a Blackblade it still looked good on him even though the pants and top were in charcoal. The over jacket at least had some red trim but otherwise also gray. Tensu on the other hand was dressed in a dark rich purple pants and top with light blue trim and his over jacket was like liquid silver.
Dive glanced at Tensu. “If I was dressed in my real dress uniform, would it be different than this?”
Tensu nodded. “Yes, everything would be different.”
“How different?”
“Well from what I know the formal male is deep purple like mine with crimson trims, and the overcoat is pitch black with the Flashblade crest emblazoned on the back and has gold trims on the coat.” Tensu stated. He thought about the formal garbs that was in one of the galleries. “I think I can show you what they look like. Come on!”
Dive followed Tensu to one of the gallery wings and went into one of the rooms where in glass cases were formal uniforms. “I saw that one before.” Dive stated.
“Yes, that is what a formal uniform looks like of a Dove Flashblade, you just didn’t process it,” Tensu said. “But we better get back to Rowain or he’ll be skinning us alive,”
They hurried back to their room where Rowain was dressed as a Ringdove and he looked good in his formal. Tensu lowered his head in a slight bow to him before looking up. “Had to show him the formal Dove Flashblade dress as he asked what it looked like, sir.”
“It is quite nice but not seem worn in a long time.”
“Maybe one day, the Doves will find the Lady or Lord Flashblade and they can start wearing it again?” Dive stated.
“That day will be a very good one for this estate, Dive.” Rowain replied, as he led them to where the festival was being held and that the head Doves were there waiting to open the festivities.
Dive saw Collin in full formal attire with Lady Seabird by his side in her full Suscan formal which was much like the Dove outfits but practical. The other he had never met before but the tall gray Saurian stood by him in white and gold. He had felt Collin’s aura and this one felt similar but unlike Collin showed little to no emotion. Dive whispered to Tensu. “He’s like a block of ice, that one.”
“That is Renault MacDove, they are in charge of keeping track of laws and traditions, the entire Dove archive system is run and controlled by them. He’s the current head of that founding line,” Tensu whispered back.
Renault glanced towards them with his golden eyes and glared at them to which Dive being his childish self, smirked and then stuck his tongue out at him. Renault glared at him before glancing back to the ceremony that was at hand.
Collin held back a smirk, he was pretty certain Renault did not recognize Dive since he rarely showed himself unless necessary. He looked back to the crowd of Sunset Valley residents and smiled towards them all. “On this eve, we celebrate the birth of Lady Asp Flashblade.”
Dive listened to Collin’s speech about Lady Asp but the tone of his voice and the flute that was playing in the background made him drift away but a shake of his head snapped him out of it. Something in the flute and Collin’s voice was making him lose himself there.
He could feel the hum of the land in tune with the flute, the land was happy and there was the echos of voices all around. He looked up and unintentionally met Renault’s gaze which grounded him back into the here and now. Rowain nudged him and Tensu forward to the podium. “It’s time to light the candle boys.”
Dive whispered, “Thank you.” as he followed Tensu up to where the candle was located at.
Collin presented them with a thin torch-like object with enough flame to light the large central candle which was almost as tall as Dive. With Tensu holding part of it and Dive holding part placed the flame against the wick of the candle as it sputtered at first and then burst into a big flame as the candle was lit.
Dive blinked, he had been certain Tensu had been with him for lighting the candle but instead of Tensu there was a girl about his age beside him.

“You’re early.” she said with a smile.

“Where am I?” Dive asked, as he looked around.
She smiled. “Where you are standing, where else you would you be?” she said calmly.
Dive tried to clear his head and looked at the girl in front of him more carefully, she was in crimson dress trimmed with gold with a black over coat. He glanced about quickly before he turned his attention back to the girl. “I’m in the past, aren’t I?”
“Perhaps, but it is also the here and now.”
Dive looked at her. “Asp Flashblade?”
“Whom else would I be? Though if I put you in one of my dresses, maybe you could pass as me “
Dive chuckled. “But they’ll notice that I’m not you,”
“Will they? We could pass as twins? The only difference is that you’re a boy.”
Dive stuck his tongue out, “Well your just a girly girl.”
“Maybe but like you still deadly.”
Dive looked at the candle in front of them. “They said I would meet someone of my past or future. Are you . . . my ancestor or am I somehow tied to you in an odd way?”
“Well, I will head the estate one day after mamma and pappa, but after is it not you who will head it?” Dive looked at her a bit mystified and not really sure what to say to her as it would mark him down forevermore to the estate, which was slowly growing on him. “Don’t worry, you will understand more when we are older.”
Dive nodded as he looked around to different Doves standing there seemingly frozen in place. “Will I see you . . . again?”

“When the tempest summons a time storm to bring you here once more, but for now, return to your time and live strong,” Asp stated.

Stay tuned, the next chapter is coming.
- 12
- 13
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Vastati fatum (Ravaged by fate).