The North (Closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Address you?" Hesperus rumbled curiously, his great maw lowering a bit to regard her. It was easily eight or nine feet from his chin to the top of his nose alone. He turned his burgundy eye toward her, but took care not to get close enough for her to actually reach it with a sword. "I've heard many names in both the mind of this boy playing at emperor, and in the minds of those far less adoring. Kingslayer. Drachentöter. Rider Queen. Owensdottir..." His eye flicked toward Andre, who'd finally dared to approach Joachim and was trying to silently gather him up to get him help. Andre met Hesperus's gaze and immediately winced away with a hiss of pain. "... Ah, very sweet. 'Mama Bear' is a lovely little nickname." His gaze cast over the Ghis brothers with their weapons drawn, all terrified but bravely facing forward and ready to help their kin. "... Niece. Daughter. Ghis." While the brothers didn't experience quite the same sensation as Andre, each had to tear their eyes away too. It was the first evidence Fiona had ever seen of an Elder able to plumb the minds of non-Callers. "Such lovely things to say about you. I have gathered in these past weeks that you are deeply feared, hated, and beloved. A living legend who slew an Emperor, soothed the raging Gylhyr, and helped to create a haven unlike any ever seen since the time of your namesake."

Regarding Fiona once more, the monolithic dragon spread his great wings and swept his tail dramatically to curl around his legs, lowering his chest and neck to the ground til his beard brushed the grass. It was an overdramatic bow, and he nodded slightly to Fiona with a smile that almost looked friendly. "Your Majesty, first Rider Queen and Caller of Reven... Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Hesperus, namesake of the God from Greek myth. I am the keeper of the lands you now call Europe, and host of the once-venerated Karides bloodline."

His smile remained as he added, "And in five days, one of us will pen another title into our legend. The dragon who ended the Blackstones, or the Caller who killed the last creature truly worthy of the name 'dragon.'"

 

[heartofcourage]

"Margaret warned me that you were only interested in legacy." Fiona murmured, her voice low and calm in spite of the air of chaos that was filtering in around them. "Just as you were back in her time when they tried to put you down and you crawled back into the sea to heal."

"It pains you that you aren't a God. That they proved you could be mortal. Trust me, Hesperus, though this fight is on my shoulders, I won't make the same mistakes that Margaret did." Fiona promised him. "I've given you the chance to live in my haven and to find safety and peace. You know Markos would still serve you if given the chance. It's not what you want. You want to die."

 

[KieranSoares]

"There are no gods, little slayer. There is only myth and legend which deifies the strongest, or the cleverest, or the most treacherous. I have already achieved my legend and you yours. The only thing that remains to be written is the end. And what an end it will be, for either or perhaps both of us. And one of us may yet be a god someday, if only in name."

His gaze turned back to Rikke and he nodded toward Joachim. "Go, little one. Take him and try to save him. You have my solemn promise that as long as I am not dishonorably struck first, no battle will take place until the agreed upon day."

Rikke didn't want to listen to him or act upon his permission, but Joachim was slipping away. Making the decision for herself, she scooped up the dying Emperor and rocketed back toward camp. Andre remained with Fiona, blade still in hand as he stood back with the Ghis brothers to support her.

Casting his eyes back down to Fiona, Hesperus neatly refolded his wings and sat back down, his hook-ended tail settling around him. "Go and prepare in peace, Rider Queen. Train, rest, even send your soldiers to strike Edinburgh if you like. I have no interest in answering Clan Royer's cries for help. Though I make make a short visit... It will be interesting to see how Brennan Royer reacts seeing the goliath he summoned in his hubris." He was nothing if not smug, knowing his own strength and size made him a nightmare. He took absolute delight in the fear he struck into everything smaller than him, and he was certain not of honor or promises, but the idea that if Fiona tried anything til the marked date of their battle, he could destroy her in an instant.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona only moved when she felt Andre move to stand with Brogan, Boar, and Durban. She turned her back to him as he dismissed her with his final words, musing about whether he should go to Edinburgh to meet with Royer. That was none of her concern in reality. Royer had made his own bed. It was time for him to deal with this consequence. Before she got too far away, pausing halfway between the great dragon and the safety of her family, she turned back to stare at him. He wasn't trying to read her mind. Perhaps he had learned that she would hurt him just as greatly as he might have hurt her. Instead, she focused on something else.

Her eyes settled on the great scar that graced his shoulder. That was the mark that Margaret had given to him. The scales had never grown back from where her glaive had nearly ended his life. It was a large target, but it wasn't the target that she was going to focus on. What she knew was that when she pierced the heart, she would know. She listened to the great thud of his heart, muffled at that distance, but steady enough for her to hear if she concentrated.

 

[KieranSoares]

Even if Fiona focused on Hesperus's heart, she could feel the sharp edges of his mind daring her to try something. It was nothing short of a mental bear trap, broad and polished with practice, awaiting just under the surface with a hair trigger. His heart was another story. While she could hear it, it was perhaps not as powerful as it should've been. It was just slightly out of rhythm. She had heard something similar in moments when Sam's father hugged her tightly and she could hear his heart- still strong but damaged- beating on stubbornly with the occasional small falter. It seemed Margaret Blackstone had left her mark on the dragon for the last five-hundred years and Hesperus knew it.

As Fiona approached her family, Andre fell into step with her and the Ghis brothers met her partway. Brogan was the first to reach out and lay a hand on Fiona's armored shoulder. "What do you need us t'do, darlin'?" He knew they might need to gather people and send others away to safety. Even if Hesperus didn't stay true to his word, he was at least waiting for now and that would be enough time to get some people out. They could only hope the dragon was honest, and it would give Sam the time to finish his work so others could support Fiona. But no one else outside Fiona, Sam, and Dzana knew that Sam was also about to make a weapon of himself too.

 

[heartofcourage]

"He has no true interest in anyone other than myself." Fiona said softly, turning to look at the dragon once more as the Ghis brothers surrounded her in a protective circle as if they might have saved her from Hesperus. "He won't stick around here. He has business in Edinburgh."

She turned her attention to Brogan as she felt his hand on her shoulder, her face as blank as he had ever seen it. "What I need right now is absolute calm. If we are not calm, he will see it as a breach of our agreement."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then calm you'll have," Brogan assured her quietly. He knew scouts would've already reported Hesperus's appearance to Soma and things would already be moving back in camp. Soma would have the wounded sent to allied clan cities for safety as well as a calm environment to rest. Greenhorn soldiers and Riders would take over northern watches and positions to keep them away from a fight even the veterans weren't ready for. Soma would slowly shift the entire camp around with their most venerated and vicious facing Hesperus himself.

"Boys," Brogan turned to his brothers. "Go an' help Soma control th'inevitable chaos. We need t'send messengers t'the other camps, get the entire army on the same page. No one tries anythin' stupid or heroic right now. Seeing as the Rangers are our military police, send word t'Ciaran an' Will to arrest anyone who disobeys. The Axemen an' veteran Riders need t'be front and center to help present a calm, united front. That'll help keep nerves down."

The brothers each split off to fetch their drakes and head back until it was just Fiona and Andre. He glanced back to see Hesperus calmly begin lumbering down the treeline, taking in his surroundings as if on a Sunday stroll. Andre finally tore his gaze away and looked to his mother-in-law. "I wasn't ready for him to get into my head like that... I'm sorry," he murmured quietly. "What can I do to help you right now?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're still young and learning, Andre." Fiona said as she reached to unbuckle her helmet, passing it off to Andre to hold as they both watched Hesperus lumber along the tree line. "We stand here and we study. He might think that he can crush us in this fight, but we need to use this moment to watch him and learn all that we can. His pride will be his downfall."

She glanced over at her son-in-law and gave a slight incline of her head towards the great dragon, wondering if he could sense the same that she could about him. "Do you see the same flaws that I do? Can you hear the hitch in his heart? There is still damage there that was caused from the original fight that he was never able to heal. His size is also a hinderance and he can't move as agile as a smaller dragon might. Each part of his body must move before another part can."

 

[KieranSoares]

Andre nodded slowly as Fiona instructed him to study instead of act. Tucking her helmet under his arm, Andre muttered quietly, "The scar tells me he cauterized the wound like Schaller did back in the first war. It got infected too, some of my boys from the Johania Riders have scars like that. It might've killed him when he was hibernating, but he got lucky. His heart... arhythmia, I think Alex calls it. It might cause him some pain or even slow him down if it gets to beating too fast. We can use that... give him a run-around before we directly engage."

Andre's military mind was in full swing, speaking to why he was once a Major beyond just his father's name. "He's over-muscular, that's for sure. That tells me he's bulked himself up on purpose for looks more than function. It's going to take him much longer than a dragon like Schaller to get moving fast, and way longer to slow down. Like an armored warhorse versus a slim riding mount. We can use all of that to our advantage to tire him out. But that tail is longer than I expected, and that hook in the end... Not to mention, we haven't seen what his fire is like. That huge barrel chest and thick neck tell me he's going to be able to summon up more, and sustain it much longer than others. And the scar tissue on his chest will be almost as difficult to hack into as his scales from the looks of it."

Andre glanced at Hesperus once more, brows furrowing as he saw the titan unfurl his wings. They had many tiny tears but not enough to affect his flight. "I don't think he's going to give us long to study..."

The ground began to thunder as Hesperus turned eastward and began galloping down the treeline, taking a long run-up before launching himself into the sky. As they'd expected, it was slow. But Hesperus's huge wings made up for a lack of speed with sheer power and he set off fairly smoothly. He was headed for Edinburgh now that he'd made his presence known. But he didn't leave without circling over the camp once just to let everyone see him up close. To their credit, the camp managed to stay calm enough not to cause mass panic, and no one launched any of their hoarded dragon weapons at him.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Come on. Let's go get news on Joachim." She said softly as the great dragon drifted into the distance, her hand resting on Andre's arm gently.

Entering into the camp, it was calm but she could also feel the chaos. It was there beneath the surface just waiting to burst forth. She couldn't help the soldiers in the camp, but she could at least set an example for her own riders. As long as she had an air of indifference around her, they would certainly see that there was nothing to fear.

The main surgical tent was bustling with healers from the tribes and Alex's own men. They were all working on the Emperor to save his life, just as Hesperus had taunted in the open field. Tanya was awake and seated to the side, watching them work to try and save her battered husband. Fiona had seen the same look on her face from time to time, wondering if Sam would survive his injuries or if these moments would be his last.

Quietly moving forward, she quietly placed a hand on Tanya's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I...did what I could to bring him back alive."

 

[KieranSoares]

After losing the lower half of her leg to Joachim himself, Tanya had been confined to a cot while healing, only just starting to be able to move a bit with crutches now that she wasn't bedridden. The crutches leaning beside her and the mud on her remaining boot told Fiona she'd been out, then dragged herself back to that medical tent the instant she heard the news. Now, she was sitting before the gruesome scene of Alex fighting for Joachim's life. Her face was nearly blank with a thousand-yard stare, and her hands rested limply in her lap.

When she felt Fiona touch her shoulder, one hand rose to lay over hers. She didn't speak for a long moment. Alex and the best of his staff were rushing like mad to do something, but the damage Joachim had suffered had already had over a week to fester. By all rights, he shouldn't have survived to even enter the North's care.

"Why my boys...?" Tanya finally whispered. "Why does every man I care about have to suffer so much? Why am I never there when they needed me, or too weak to help?"

Alex was kneeling beside Joachim and speaking to him while holding him steady for another doctor trying to drain fluid from Joachim's chest. Joachim's breathing was loud and ragged. Hesperus's influence was wearing off and his body was shutting down violently. Joachim managed to get out a few words, only able to weakly grip the edge of Alex's sleeve.

A moment later, Alex looked across at Tanya and rose from Joachim's side to approach her. She slowly shook her head when he came to a halt. "Don't say it, Alex..."

"If there are going to be goodbyes, it needs to be now, Tanya," Alex spoke gently, guilt clear in his eyes. Tanya didn't hesitate, forgetting her missing leg a moment as she pushed herself up in an instant. Alex caught her, scooping her up to carry her the short distance to her husband's side. He sat her down in a chair and motioned everyone else away before draping a sheet over Joachim up to his chest to at least offer him a reprieve from the cold in his last moments. Tanya took Joachim's burned hand without a second thought, leaning in to press her forehead to his own.

Even from the distance, Fiona could hear Tanya speaking in shaky German. As a woman born in England, she'd begun to learn German while working in the Imperial Rider corps, and redoubled her efforts when she became Empress. Now, it was enough that she could speak in her dying husband's native tongue to make it easy for him and to give him a little bit of home before he was gone.

Fiona could hear Tanya comforting him, assuring him and even joking a little that for once in his life, she wasn't mad at him. It wasn't his fault. He was a good husband and father and had been exactly what the Empire needed. "And I'll look after things for you... I won't run away this time," Tanya promised despite tears. "The Empire was going to be your life's work... Now it's mine. Arnulf will make you so proud."

"Tell him... When he's old enough to understand... He made me a better man. He made us both better, just by being born..." Joachim muttered in English back to his love as a final sign of respect for her heritage. His voice was barely there, and he had to choke back a quiet sob as he barely mustered the strength to grip Tanya's sleeve. "Ich habe angst vor dem nebel, liebling..."

"You have nothing to fear. Everyone you loved is there. And you'll catch up on all the sleep you lost while you wait for me." Tanya pressed a kiss to his forehead. And when she pulled back, he was gone.

Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, she muttered, "You asshole... You always end up going places that are a nightmare to follow... And now you found the one place where I can't follow at all." A widow, an Empress, and a single mother, Tanya Ashcroft did not fall apart with the passing of her husband. She sat with her head bowed for a long moment before slowly lowering it to Joachim's chest. With no heartbeat left, she found only silence.

"Fiona..." She finally spoke up after a long moment. Her dulled, glassy eyes looked out at the Rider Queen. Her head and one arm were still draped against Joachim, but she radiated hate. Despite her position and her health, she was anything but vulnerable in that moment. "I know you and Soma have plans. I won't ruin them, if only for Arnulf's sake. But I have two requests..." She closed her eyes and nestled further into Joachim's chest as if she could cling to the last bit of warmth and pretend he wasn't gone yet. "I'd like to fly in the fight, if only to run distractions. And when Hesperus collapses at your feet, I'd like one of his horns. A grave marker worthy of an Emperor."

 

[heartofcourage]

"One request I can give you." Fiona promised, her eyes showing a pain the few thought might be there with the death of the Emperor. "You can fly with the rest of us in the fight. Arnulf will be well protected as he has been since he was brought to this camp. However, the second isn't for me to give to you. Hesperus belongs to Markos. I'll ask him for you. Given the circumstances, I'm sure that he won't deny you the request."

While she had not directly had a hand in taking Joachim's life, she saw little difference in choking him into submission and driving a sword deeply into his father's throat. Turning to look at Alex, she bowed her head slightly and then motioned for everyone to leave the tent to give Tanya her peace. It was her duty to make the announcement to her riders as their queen and she soon had Ezra, Dani, and Jani gathered around.

"Joachim Barbarossa is dead." She murmured, looking at each of them. "Killed by Hesperus. Tanya Ashcroft will ride with us into battle and we will do what we can to protect the young king from the dragon."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Jesus Christ," Dani whispered at the news, leaning into Costa's side as the mostly silent man lowered his head. At the same time, Ezra and Jani shared a glance. The sentiment was clear: this needed to stop. They had spent so long trying to secure Joachim's rule and only just succeeded, his new council made up of well-meaning and vetted lords wise enough to take advice from Soma and Northern leaders. Now, the young man who'd been ready to live and die for his Empire had instead died because a monster caught his mind in a trap at just the right moment. Joachim's suffering at the hands of Hesperus was clear by how ruined his body had been, but there was no telling what hell he'd suffered mentally, imprisoned in his own head while his body attacked those he loved most and marched wounded across the isles.

"Arnulf is the rightful king of Germany and Austria now... But Tanya is Empress unchallenged," Ezra murmured. "I would never deny her a chance to help in the fight, but she needs to survive. The Empire was already fragile."

"Soma will know what to do," Jani assured him with more confidence than she really felt. Looking back to Fiona, she let out a heavy sigh. "Well... Shit. I really liked that kid... And mine's going to be devastated. Again..." Shaking her head, Jani straightened and put her hands on her hips. "What do you need us to do, Fiona?"

"We should try to send messengers ahead of rumors and hearsay," Danica suggested softly. "Rumors and overblown stories will cause panic. And the Imperials need to know as soon as possible."

"Soma would be the best to draft up a letter and have it copied and sent out with the greenhorns," Costa finally spoke up. "But I'm not sure there's much else that can be done save preparing."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I choked him into submission." Fiona murmured; her eyes cast towards the ground as she explained to them what had happened. "But he would have killed me otherwise. "It was just like with his father, but I wasn't going to be responsible for his death. He had a chance to live, and I was going to give it to him. He...he was already too far gone."

 

[KieranSoares]

The four looked on at their captain and queen with quiet horror at Hesperus forcing her to relive her nightmare and fight with a young man who had many times called Fiona his hero. Dani caught herself tearing up both in pity for Joachim and Tanya, and sympathy for her queen. Costa and Ezra were quiet, struggling with all that was weighed upon their minds and hearts. Jani, however, was single-focused the moment Fiona's voice hitched.

Jani's arms wrapped tightly around Fiona's slim, armored form, and soon the other three officers were embracing her as well. It wasn't the first time they'd closed ranks around their queen to offer comfort and safety, and it hopefully wouldn't be the last.

"No matter what, we keep our mercy in this fight," Jani murmured to them all as they gathered in a tight circle between the five of them. Her icy blue eyes met each of theirs as she spoke. "I'm an Icelander... Revenge and glory are my bread and butter. But not this time. We support our Queen at any and all costs. We shield everyone from panic and suffering as best we can. And we don't stoop to this monster's level, no matter how fucking cruel he is. We treat him like the rabid, mad dog he is and put him down humanely and we get back on track and fucking go home. And with any luck, Royer'll piss himself and run when he sees even the oldest dragon in the world couldn't save his wannabe empire."

Jani's hand lifted from Fiona's shoulder and touched her cheek, pulling the shorter woman against her side and pressing a kiss to her temple like a sister. "We've got you, Fiona. Titles and legends and all that fancy shit aside... you're our sister and we're with you. As Sam always says, 'to whatever end.'"

Confident nods and affirmations quickly followed from the other three, all ready to live and die beside their freely-chosen liege.

 

[heartofcourage]

Fiona laid low for the rest of the day, the news slowly spreading through the camp that Joachim had succumbed to his wounds. He had died a hero's death. That was what Tanya wanted people to know. The blame on Fiona would never truly be known as the only ones that had seen it had been Andre and the Ghis brothers. They weren't about to feed into the rumor mill that Fiona had been the one to subdue the young Barbarossa. Their emperor would have died an honorable man and the Rider queen would be the one that took down the dragon that had gravely injured him.

When she finally emerged from her hiding at dusk, she had changed out of her dragonscale armor and into a loose gown. She had a meeting with Sam and Dzana, one that Schaller wanted to be there for, but she was needed somewhere else first. Walking alongside Schaller, she stopped at Markos's small camp on the outskirts of the larger battalion.

"Her majesty has made a request." She said softly as she saw him working over a small fire. "One that I told her that I would have to ask you about. She wishes to have one of Hesperus's horns when he is slain to make the Emperor's grave marker with. He might have turned his back on you, but he is still the dragon of your family line."

 

[KieranSoares]

When Fiona found Markos, she would also find that a few small things had changed. With fair pay from the North, he'd begun to buy necessities and tools he'd lost after Royer dismissed him and seized his home. His basic borrowed tent had been replaced with a handmade canopy with canvas walls that could roll down to make an enclosed tent. His camp was controlled chaos. Everything was colorful and scattered. But there was a very clear organization that worked for Markos's mind.

Most striking of all, Markos had completely shaved his head and now his beard remained long but braided with a few decorative beads. With his hair gone, the Medusa and snake tattoos were now better revealed, showing they ran along his temples over his ears and met below the base of his skull to twist around a Greek Kappa and the crest of the Karides. It also revealed more scars occasionally breaking the ink, cruelly inflicted by the Church.

When Fiona approached, Markos was sitting crosslegged and barefoot as usual, his ruby partner Diana laying beside him as he was quite happily applying some kind of greenish brown oily paste to a stack of javelins with thick gloves on. He paused as Fiona addressed him, his blue eyes hazy with their usual not-quite-present stare. Casting aside his gloves, Markos weaved around the fire and stopped a respectful distance from Fiona as his brows furrowed in thought.

"You know... I've been thinking about that idea since I got here, how Great Hesperus forged my family's power but abandoned us. Whatever went wrong in his head, he forced our lines to turn on him for everyone else's sake. He changed. And I know now that he was only kind to me to manipulate me. The same goes for Brennan."

Looking at his little camp full of strange objects and colorful cloth and his partner laying asleep at its edge, Markos shrugged slightly. "I will never stop being a Karides. But my family's loyalty should've stayed with the Blackstones all this time. I will do what I can to fix that. I don't claim Hesperus anymore. He can't withdraw his gift, but I can turn it to better things."

It was perhaps one of the few serious things Markos had said without getting distracted or spacing out, but as he looked back to Fiona, he gave her a nod. "Hesperus belongs to those who deserve justice. When he falls, I will keep a scale and I don't mind if those he's hurt take a scale and the Empress takes a horn. But his body should be left alone otherwise. Then I will give him back to the earth with the help of dragon fire."

Standing silently for the most part beside Fiona, Schaller gave a nod of seeming mutual respect to Markos's plans. "Monster that he is, his corpse will not be some trophy."

"No. No, far too much of that in the world already." Markos turned his gaze back to Fiona, noting her lack of armor and how tired she looked. "If you would make that request on the Empress's behalf, I trust your judgment about her intentions. It would be fitting for a man- Emperor or no- killed by Hesperus's wanton cruelty to have a piece of him as their gravestone."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You can still claim him, Markos." Fiona said softly. "Just as I still claim and talk to Reven. There is nothing wrong in remembering the good in someone. We can't change the past or who we are nor which dragon gave us our gift."

As he spoke, she nodded, agreeing that once Hesperus was no more he would be allowed to rest. "I give you my word that we will see him to as peaceful an end as possible. Margaret has already shown me the task that I have at hand to make it happen. After that, I will leave it to my officers and my children."

"I know that I can make it physically through this fight. I worry, however, that...I'll never mentally be the same. He enjoys tearing loose what you most wish to hide away from the world."

 

[KieranSoares]

"He does. It wasn't just the Church that made me this way," Markos explained with a somewhat forlorn half-smile. "I can't promise you won't be changed forever in ways you won't like. But you have a support system and people who will love you no matter what. It's a small comfort, I know... But in the short time I've known you, I have learned that one of your greatest strengths is resilience and the ability to remain kind, even if that kindness is mercy against your better judgment."

Markos glanced up at Schaller and then to the sleeping Diana, and added softly, "And you have someone to share the load... As much as we might wish they wouldn't for their own sake. My Diana has been with me almost as long as your Gylhyr. I'm certainly not sane, but not as cracked as I would be without her." He gave Fiona another gentle, reassuring smile. "I know we aren't friends. We may never be and that's okay. But if you need to share the load with someone else or need someone who knows a bit of what you'll be facing... I'm your madman."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Give it time. We might be friends yet." Fiona said as she turned and gently patted Schaller on the arm. "We have a meeting to get to. I'm sure we'll talk again soon."

With that, they left the campsite and continued into the woods. She could have easily ridden on Schaller's crest, but walking helped to clear her mind. She had far too much nervous energy built up inside to stay still for very long. In fact, Fiona was dependent yet again on a mixture of herbs to help her sleep at night. It was a closely guarded secret that only she, Samuel, and Alex knew.

Stepping into a clearing, she smiled upon seeing her husband and Dzana waiting for them, just as they had discussed that morning. When Sam had made the decision to become a Caller, she had wanted it to be private and just for the two of them and their dragons.

"Good evening, Dzana." Fiona said as she greeted Sam's dragon.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam was tucked into the crook of Dzana's dark chest and shoulder as her arms lay crossed before her. He seemed to be dozing, lulled nearly to sleep with the warmth and knowing he was in one of the safest places in the world with the veteran of many hundreds of battles.

Dzana had her head and neck settled into her shoulders like a cat. Her eyes opened when Fiona spoke up and her chest ignited briefly with curls of smoke coming from her nose. The sound and movement gently stirred Sam and he sat up straight with a deep breath and rubbed his eyes.

"Good evening, Fiona," Dzana responded quietly. It was rare for her to call Fiona by name, typically preferring her surname, a title, or simply calling her "Fox."

"Hiya, love," Sam greeted as well, Dzana's arm shifting out of his way as he stepped out to meet his wife. He'd been working his forge double-time all day after learning of Hesperus's visit and making sure Fiona was okay and settled in their tent. He'd taken a few breaks to check in, but Soma had freed him up entirely to work on their weapons and prepare for the coming fight. He'd earned a few minor burns and cuts in the time since beginning his project, several showing on his arms as he met Fiona in a sleeveless belted tunic and loose trousers, only an axe and a knife on his hip.

As Sam met Fiona with a kiss, Schaller stepped up to touch his nose to Dzana's briefly. It was about the most affection anyone ever saw between them. But they would only dare show it at all in front of their partners. Dzana gave Schaller a nod and he settled across from her in a similar position, plenty of space between them for their Riders to join them or move around freely.

As Sam wrapped his arm around Fiona's waist and turned to look up at Dzana again, he sighed quietly. "We talked through most of it... In theory I know what to expect. But Dzana warned me I might be out of commission tomorrow. So I recruited Jani to work on some things again. I didn't ask Ri... I don't know how Andre's holdin' up but I didn't want to take her from his side."

"No dragon has chosen a Caller that we know of since Vestholm chose his line two centuries back," Dzana explained quietly. "And of the living Elders we know... only one has a bloodline still in existence. Hesperus and the Karides. Gylhyr's died out long ago and he never chose another. Nor have I since my last Caller in battle with no children or other descendants. And by all rights, Reven's should've ended with Margaret and little Ulf. But Margaret's family was granted the gift as well and allowed to carry it on in her name. All things considered... this is a very heavy occasion."

"Does it make you nervous?" Schaller asked his former mate softly.

"Nervous? No. Anxiety is something I reserve for Sveri's future alone. It makes me... melancholy. My gift is warlike and vicious. And I would not wish it on anyone outside these circumstances."

Fiona had not learned exactly what this gift was, only that it would help Sam support her in the fight to come. Sam reached out to touch Dzana's arm and he continued quietly for Fiona's benefit. "She tells me this gift is just like what th'Norse folk speak of in their stories about the Berserkers. It channels anger into strength most of all. But Dzana's too focused on th'potential negatives."

Looking back to his wife, Sam explained, "Berserkers were so fearsome because they were stronger than any other warriors. There's a reason they were considered the equal to bears and dragons and other great beasts. But this gift would also give me the ability to control that anger and strength. Bloodlust and rage are destructive, unless they're measured and tempered."

"And if Samuel is anything like other Callers, he will develop a passive ability as well. But those are usually unique to each person," Dzana added. "We will see... But I'm giving you one last chance to back out, my love."

Dzana had never called anyone but Sveri by such a term of endearment. It was clearly influenced by the way Schaller spoke to Fiona. Dzana noticed the slip but said nothing about it. Normally she refused to be so gentle and vulnerable but it seemed Sam was the exception.

Sam's eyes turned back to Fiona. "... I've trusted your judgment more than my own on this, love," he spoke softly, taking her hand and gently lacing his fingers with hers. "Knowing all of this... knowing tha' if we did ever have another baby, they'd be part of this too... If you say no, I'll walk away."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Why would I say no?" Fiona asked softly, looking up into Sam's soft green gaze. "You, of all people, know what it means to be connected to the land and the were in ways that I don't understand. You know what it feels like. You know what is coming to you. You won't be like me, Samuel. I lose myself as I travel between this world and the next. That isn't what Dzana is offering you. That isn't what has been offered to the children as their gifts grow. Whatever we both pass to another child is simply their right by birth."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I ask because I trust you more'n myself sometimes. An' because you've helped me overcome the worst parts of my mind. Now... Dzana an' I are going to help each other." Sam looked up at the great royal purple dragon, her sharp gaze softened as she regarded him in return. It was the same love Fiona and Schaller shared, but it was still very young.

"Come, Samuel," Dzana encouraged him quietly. "Let us begin."

Sam nodded, but he didn't go to her offered hands right away. Instead, he brought Fiona to her favorite spot first on Schaller's arm where she had spent countless hours over the years whether she was working, relaxing, or simply reconnecting with her dragon. Sam's hands lifted to her face and he leaned in to kiss her once more. He knew he wasn't going anywhere, but he was nervous and he knew the next time he returned to her side, he'd be irrevocably changed. He had expressed his fears of becoming like Tamblin many times in their marriage, and the idea of opening his mind to being altered had reignited that fear. But he trusted Dzana and Fiona when they assured him he'd still be Sam in the end.

"I love you," Sam murmured to his wife, his emerald eyes re-memorizing hers for the millionth time in their twenty years. "... Thank you for trusting me."

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's no one else that I trust more in the world." She murmured in return, sensing the hesitation in her husband to let her go. "Nothing will change, eldere. I promise. Dzana will protect you just as I would. Let her be your shield right now."

She reached up and took his hands in her own, giving them a squeeze as she gave him a soft smile. "Go on, Sam. Then come back to me. I'll be waiting for you."

 

[KieranSoares]

Sam sought one last kiss before he finally pulled back and turned to face Dzana again. Taking a deep breath, he stepped up to face her. "Okay. Let's do this."

Dzana nodded in return, welcoming Sam to sit before her in the grass, her hands resting on either side of him as if ready to catch him if he fell back. She lowered her great maw and closed her eyes, her chest igniting loudly and glowing behind the black scales of her underbelly. When her maw touched Sam's forehead, a sudden arc of electricity shattered across Fiona's mind. It didn't hurt at all, but it was jarring and made her vision go white for a moment, her ears ringing as another mind entered her presence.

Sam's entire body slumped back as he was suddenly rendered unconscious, falling into Dzana's waiting hands. She scooped him up and pulled him in close against her chest, curling in around him til he was hidden from view. Schaller shook his head suddenly in response to feeling the new presence, his own senses shorting out for a moment. But he and Fiona were front and center for a flood of memories and emotions as a new mind opened up and anchored itself beside Dzana's.

Fiona saw a toddler, broad-shouldered and hearty, half-tumbling in the grass as he tried to keep up with another boy who looked just like him. His dark hair was combed nicely and he was dressed in a little tartan great kilt and dark shirt. The memory was hazy but Fiona could see a younger Julia sitting on a blanket beside her hale and hearty husband. Annie, Ciaran, and Kate were all there, the girls entirely wrapping Brogan around their fingers while Ciaran was content to be beside his mother. When their parents called, the twin boys responded differently. Little Rhodan made a beeline for his father, while little Samuel only had eyes for his lovely mother. And the only thing that could distract him away was the arrival of a petite older woman with long dark hair, familiar dark eyes, walking along with her arm looped around a handsome Italian. Fiona had seen Vincenzo and Kitty in her younger days but never really knew them. They looked vibrant and joyful, and Kitty absolutely lit up and forgot everything else when her Sam came running.

Many small memories flashed by, but Fiona caught bits and pieces. Sam's first horse. The day he began training with his father and older brother and sister. The day he and Rho got their own rooms. And then she began to experience breaks and stuttering in the memories, like the picture couldn't quite resolve. There was a Wolf in warpaint with a mad look in his eye. A young teenaged Rhodan had a sword in hand. Blood. The white of bone. A young man's scream. Then suddenly the Wolf was dead, almost decapitated, and Sam was dropping his brother's sword in horror. "I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to," he whispered over and over as he beheld the man he'd killed in the effort to save Rho.

The memories grew grey and emotionless after that, save bright spots with family and dear friends. Fiona saw herself as a teen stealing an apple, and Sam didn't say a word. She saw herself in a cell as Sam wrote in a ledger. She saw herself fleeing as he chased her, crashing into a camp of dead Greeks and finding Roman. Their first meals together. Their first kiss. Their break and their reunion in Sweden.

Memories of the old war were foggy, distorted and broken by trauma and stress. But clarity returned when Riley was born, and Fiona saw almost twenty years as if preserved in gold. Despite all the stresses, Sam's time as a blacksmith, father, husband, and patriarch were the clearest and most precious, crowned by beautiful, quiet moments with his wife. His most sacred memories were not big family dinners or triumphs of his children. They were nights by the fire curled up with Fiona, sometimes making love, sometimes enjoying a drink, and sometimes simply just existing beside her.

While Fiona didn't see every memory and every moment, she saw the most important things that made Sam who he was. And as the memories turned to the recent year, she saw a memory that was worse to Sam than his brother losing his arm, worse than any loss or betrayal. It was the hours he'd spent at her bedside after she'd died and been revived. He spent the entire grueling wait begging for whatever gods existed to spare her, hating them for letting her be laid so low, hating himself for being helpless, and trying desperately to pull himself together for the sake of his children knowing that would've been Fiona's greatest concern.

When the memories caught up to the present day, something new and strange came to Fiona. A misty clifftop with a gnarled, ancient tree overlooking a forest and river below. A sword standing plunged into the ground between the roots. A fog bank slowly rolling by. In the mist, she saw a great bear in amongst the roots asleep. Not a bear... Sam in his signature cloak of heavy fur. Looming over the tree stood the shape of Dzana, vigilant and protective as her new Caller slept peacefully.

When Fiona and Schaller came back to themselves, it wasn't clear how much time had passed. A twinge of pain hit Fiona, but it wasn't her own. A low, pitiful groan sounded from within the circle of Dzana's curled form. Sam had the worst migraine of his life, but it wasn't over yet. Fiona could feel a connection growing, Dzana channeling her entire self into Sam's mind. The groan turned to a roar of pain. Schaller grew tense, uncomfortable hearing Sam suffering.

Another jolt of lightning across their minds, a yelp and snarl like a bear ready to kill, and Sam fell silent. Riley, Soma, Markos, Andre, Tanya, and any other Caller connected to them suddenly felt someone new emerge, then pass out as Sam's mind went blank and began to drift.

Dzana slowly uncurled, cradling Sam in her hands. Blood ran down from his nose and mouth and he'd torn a hole in his shirt gripping at it in his pain. It was a jarring sight, but Dzana murmured, "It's done... He's okay."