At those words, Kendath tried but failed to conceal his inexorable relief. A wry grin touched his lips. "Such as I did on our first encounter?"

It was then that the messenger boy returned with the words, "Commander Thorone will see you now."

And for the first time, Kendath found himself stepping into the majesty incarnate in Vryngard.

A well-paved mountain path led up to a titanic doorway carved out of sheer mountain rock and engraved with the flaming sigils of two rearing dragons. The portals ground open, revealing a vaulted hall lined with enormous bowls of blue flame that seared up almost to the ceiling, casting a cobalt hue on the entire mountain fortress. Among the vast columned walkways strode Renegade warriors, some leading their dragons, others walking alone - but not one without a grim sense of purpose.

The hall soon opened into a cavern simply inconceivable in size - the central forum of Vryngard. Here, not only dragonriders were present but all members beneficial to the Renegade economy - merchants, farmers, blacksmiths, weavers... The noise echoing off the smooth walls would have been deafening, had not been for the enchantments upon the cavern that drowned out the cacophony.

Merrin and Wyvern were perspicuously familiar sights among the Renegade community, for more than one rider or dragon paused to salute them. The messenger boy proved quite loquacious, babbling on about his ambitions of someday being knighted a dragonrider.

Kendath kept his concentration rigidly ahead as they passed through the marketplace into a quieter district. A set of great silver doors that marked the Council's audience chamber loomed ahead of them.

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Merrin paused to press a coin into the boy's hands. He thanked her with a lopsided grin and scurried off, leaving them alone before the Council chamber doors.

Turning to make some encouraging remark to Kendath before entering, Merrin hesitated and then simply put her small hand in his and squeezed briefly.

The great silver doors caught the sunlight and sparkled as they opened - sunlight from a dazzling diamond sunburst that hung suspended above their heads. And the heads of twelve Council members, equal parts male and female, one of whom turned as Merrin entered and rushed forward with an exclamation.

"Gods be praised - Merrin, do you realize what your family could have gone through? If you ever..." Thorone trailed off and just gazed at the diminutive dragonrider before him, youngest in her division and irritatingly precocious. "Oh, lass, I'm glad you're back." Another moment of regarding her and he'd turned to Kendath.

Thorone's expression remained frozen for a moment before he stepped back angrily, and gave Merrin an incredulous look. "Do you have any idea - "

"Wait - please" said Merrin hurriedly, stepping in front of Kendath. "I promise you, I haven't brought a traitor back. He's turned - Commander, please, I would have died but for him!" she finished desperately, seeing Thorone's closed expression.

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Thorone's expression was everything that Kendath had imagined it would be - bemused, angry, and completely intolerant. Not that Kendath could rightly blame him. He was keenly aware that for the past few years, the Renegades would have found their cause a threefold easier if he had not existed.

He opened his mouth, found that he had nothing convincing to say, then closed it again. He glanced gratefully at Merrin, though he inwardly wondered at her influence among this Council. Wordlessly, he extracted the Star Crystal from his belt and proferred it to Thorone.

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"...failed to obtain the Cloud Crystal..." Merrin was saying very fast, her eyes fixed desperately on Thorone's face, when Kendath mutely produced the Star Crystal and she trailed off.

Thorone's expression became fixed, a carefully neutral mask. "Explain," he ordered, indicating an empty seat, and took the Crystal from Kendath. Thorone weighed it in his hand, shrewdly surveying the man before him.

The Council chamber was specially constructed to allow space for dragons behind where their riders sat, and Wyvern followed Merrin mutely as she went slowly to one of the indicated seats. The ranks of Council members muttered among themselves, dragons and riders alike, the shimmering rainbow of mammoth dragons creating a low rumble.

Merrin sat submissively, her hands clenched tight into fists in her lap. "We - we attempted to retrieve the Cloud Crystal from its legendary place of concealment," she continued timidly, "but Semri and her dragon Rano - of Commander Harthan's division, I believe - betrayed us and made off with it. We -"

"Very likely," spoke out a tall woman across the chamber. Her appearance was striking, enough to make anyone look twice. Midnight black hair, streaked with threads of grey, fell free across her shoulders and her blue eyes were piercing, scornful as they surveyed Merrin and Wyvern. "How can we know you too have not betrayed us?"

"We have brought you the Crystal!" exclaimed Merrin, starting to her feet. "What other pledge of loyalty need we give?"

"Sit down, Merrin," interjected Thorone sharply. "I will vouch for the girl," he continued quietly in the woman's direction. "She has not turned traitor."

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"The gods will vouch for Merrin," Kendath said emphatically. Too vigilant among these obviously hostile gazes, he stood behind her chair. He forced himself to meet Commander Thorone's concentrated gaze - a none too mere feat. "If my word is not to be trusted, confirm this in your own libraries. The Cloud Crystal was protected by an unholy guardian defeatable by pure heart alone." He indicated Merrin. "The guardian was defeated. The gods have made their stand. Do you defy them?"

He leaned back and regarded the Council. With his current standing, he knew his audacious words could have very well condemned him. Nonetheless, his words had struck a nerve. The twelve members were retreating, glancing back and forth from the Star Crystal to Merrin. They muttered among themselves, a few outraged, most in incredulity that bordered on waxing respect.

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Merrin cast him a grateful glance, and remained silent as the vaulted chamber echoed with murmurs, and suspicious glances cast her way multiplied in number. Finally one dragon, crimson-hued and sturdily built, rumbled loudly -

"If gods have made their stand, where now is the Cloud Crystal? Surely something as insignificant as one traitorous rider could not have prevented them from granting it to the one they had chosen."

"And who are you to question the gods?" said Wyvern in reply, because the intimidated Merrin would not.

This seemed to meet with the agreement of most of the twelve council members, to Merrin's relief. But Thorone still scrutinized Kendath where he stood, a guarded expression on his face and his eyes troubled as he looked upon the quiet but obviously determined Merrin as well.

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The quiet conflagration was building as the discordant silence dragged on, each Council member tense and examining the situation as one would examine a battlefield. If allowed to brew, the end result would not have been pretty.

To Kendath's immense relief, the great silver doors banged open and a messenger boy raced in. Unperturbed by the scowls at this obvious breach of protocol, the red-faced boy cried, "The Druids! The Druids have come!"

A more composed contingent by far succeeded the agog messenger. Decked out in full ceremonial regalia, Warlord Telranul and his men entered the chamber. Bowing before the assembled Council, Telranul proclaimed, "The Druids have come to reforge an ancient alliance. They await your audience now in the Hall of Ancestors."

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Garthag rose many floors above the cave of Kalma until he arrived to a round chamber located near the top of the mountain where he had a private space or to be more exact it was his work room. Garthag placed the crystal on a pedastal already carved out of ice for it as he had been so sure that he could succeed in gaining it. After admiring the crystal quietly he turned away and began to work amongst his books and scrolls, no controlled spell that would be released on such a massive sacale could be taken lightly.

Yet Kalma would stop any trouble makers or factors that might brake Garthag`s concentration, truth be told he was not sure of the renegades or the rest of the Meiltha`s last move. It could turn ugly and fast, but hopefully no one could track him down before it was too late. Garthag pulled down his hood and scrathed his long hair quietly, too many questions and too many dilemmas were on their way towards him should he not hurry.

But still there was something funny about it all, he had been in charge of everything and spoken of himself as Kalma had been silent. Now it indeed seemed weird and almost frightning, did the dragon have something else in mind? Could he even trust his closest companion? There was something else at work here and Garthag would find it out sooner or later.

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Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"Of course" replied Semri to Demons question. "And i do not care for his." She laughed. "However he is the only one who can give us the ultimate power we have always wanted, the Renagades could not, by god i had to assasinate my own parents to get the pity of the council, the Meiltha would not, they would see me only as a traitor and not worth trusting...and they would be right. But Garthag can give us power...and i doubt he would be so happy to exchange his icy fortress for one in the desert."

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Made by Lembas

Thorone started to his feet, as did several other members of the Council who were not already standing. "The Druids -" he started, and broke off in astonishment.

Merrin knew what he was thinking - what they all were. It had been centuries since the last alliance with the Druids. In the largest battle to ever take place, on the barren fields of broken stone to the east, the Druids and Renegades had joined together against their Meiltha enemies. But the young army commander, suspicious from the start of their eldritch allies, became enraged when a Renegade dragonrider pair was killed by an inexperienced young druid during the fighting. The balance was tipped and the Renegades lost the battle, marking their worst defeat in centuries. Both sides asserting the other was to blame, the Druids retreated and vanished, becoming children's stories and never again assisting the Renegades. A strong impetus indeed must have persuaded the Druids to renew their ancient bond.

"We will be with you momentarily," said Thorone with a bow. Merrin let out a sigh of relief - it seemed that they were shunted temporarily to the side if not entirely forgotten, as the Council exited almost as one.

Thorone alone remained behind, and as Merrin stood, eyes searching his face, he set the Crystal on a stone pedestal and muttered a charm, preventing it from being removed by any except him. There was not time to remove it to one of their safer vaults - certain of the druid lords were remembered primarily by the fact that they took offence at the smallest slight and he had no wish to keep them waiting.

Then the Commander shifted his attention to the pair, now alone, and the silver dragon behind them. "Consider yourself a Renegade," he said coldly, eyeing Kendath. "Temporarily, at the very least. And Merrin - "

"I know," said Merrin. "Go, the Druids await you." She grinned briefly. "The odds are shifting."

"They are indeed." Another glance at the two and Thorone had exited after the Council.

Merrin exhaled loudly into the empty chamber. "That could have been worse, I suppose."

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Demon scowled and plopped down on the icy ground. The ice beneath him smoldered from his burning weight. "Why in the abyss did you so willingly hand over the Cloud Crystal?"

-----------

Shafts of shimmering sunlight gilded the Druids' jade robes to that of a curious emerald, like dawn kissing the forest. As the great doors of the Hall of Ancestors opened, all seven Druids turned as one to greet the Renegade Council.

A lord among them, Sage, with his silvery beard and gold-trimmed robes, stood with a stature belying his age. His jeweled staff thumped against the marble floor as he moved forward to greet the Council. A benign smile touched his thin lips - forgiving, untainted by the feuds of the past.

"A thousand thanks for your hospitality," he greeted with a slight dip of his head. He acknowledged the Council as equals, not superiors, though his own Druid assembly stood in Renegade halls.

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Thorone stepped forward. "No thanks are owed - your presence is more than we had ever expected. I trust...your journey was not taxing?" These were mere pleasantries, those of one party to another. You could not be too careful in times of war. Masterfully concealing his curiousity, the Wing Commander gestured at the rest of his Council. "We have come in all haste to greet you, as you see."

~~~

Wyvern moved toward the door, understandably eager to return to his normal accomodations and proper food, and after a moment of regarding the Star Crystal, Merrin followed. As the silver doors swung silently shut behind them, footsteps echoed - and then a voice.

"Merrin?"

She turned sharply. In the hallway, silhouetted by torchlight, stood a tall man and as he came forward his features were more readily visible. He was well built, with the lean frame of a dragonrider, and looked as though he were well aware of the fact that he was rather heartbreakingly handsome. Curling brown hair fell into his eyes, which were startling emerald - the same hue as one of the dragons on guard in the courtyard. He looked to be in his middle or perhaps late twenties.

Only etiquette prevented Merrin from bowing. Dragonriders did not show such signs of respect to each other except in very rare cases, but she was acutely aware that he was as far above her in rank as it was possible to be. "Oh - Je'id, well met."

"Likewise, indeed. You have returned, then? How fortunate." He looked as though he really meant it, which suddenly flustered Merrin. She had not known this paragon of virtue was aware of her name. "Your presence has been sorely missed."

"Has it?" Merrin replied in surprise before she caught herself, flushing slightly under his green-eyed gaze. "I - I'm flattered."

A smile that made her blush further, and Merrin turned hastily. "This - this is Kendath," she ventured, with a gesture toward him.

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"Do not bother with protocol," Sage spoke gently, with a small wave of his hand. His next words seemed steepled in magnitude and power, as if rumbling from the very earth. "Times are changing. The rise of the dragonriders has reached its apex, and from here will only decline. This divine war has reached a climax, and stakes are rising. Not only the Crystals, but the very future of wyrmkind could hang in the balance."

He spread his arms, and the other seven Druids gathered around him with bowed heads. "We have come now to renew our alliance with these noble Renegade halls."

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Though his face remained as impassive as ever, Kendath assessed this dragonrider with an unimpressed eye. Self-dubbed honor had always been a trait he'd detested. Couple this with a mien of arrogance and a touch of vanity, and he found that he sorely disliked this Renegade.

"Greetings," he said, stepping forward briefly to offer Je'id a curt nod, before melting back into the shadows once more.

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"And with gladness we receive you," answered Thorone with an exhale of held breath, as if in satisfied anticipation. "Long years have we regretted what happened to disband our previous alliance."

There were murmurs of assension from the assembled Council, and the striking black-haired woman stepped forward to stand beside Thorone. "Shall we postpone the formalities?" she suggested with a smile, unlike her suspicious demeanor on surveying Merrin and Kendath. "I believe the events of today will merit a banquet unlike any we have had in some time."

Thorone agreed - but he could not help but wonder about the druid's statement. The very future of wyrmkind. He made a mental note to speak to Sage about it when they were alone.

~~~

Kendath's deadpan reaction to Je'id did not faze Merrin overtly. She had come to realize that this was not an unusual reaction to be expected from him. Je'id's nod in return made her wonder, though - did he recognize the name? The Council had, certainly. But Je'id had not been one of those pursuing Kendath that fated night that now seemed so long ago, and even though that had not been the former Meiltha's first offence, Merrin was doubtful that his name was known to any but a select few. After all, thieves and assassins did not walk about proclaiming their names, Meiltha or no.

Those inscrutable emerald eyes made it impossible for her to tell, in any case - but as they continued along the seldom-traveled halls, a casual comment jolted Merrin out of her bashful reverie.

"You have been closeted with the Council," remarked Je'id. "Perhaps more of interest has happened to you than to us lately?"

Merrin hesitated. "That tale is for the Council's ears only, I fear." Don't be an idiot, Merrin...handsome or not, secrecy is more valuable than a pair of green eyes.

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"I don't know" answered Semri thoughfully.
Maybe you were in a trasition stage between Renagade, Meiltha and Individual at that point. Maybe that is why.....and it was confused to think you might be Merrrin hisssed Rano.
"Or maybe my dearest siter is simply a pawn of the Gods...for thier own means and puposes." laughed Evlyn shakely and was rewarded with a kick for her efforts.

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Made by Lembas

With a snort that exuded a torrent of flame from his nostrils, Demon shifted into a crouch and investigated the room. All exits were guarded, but curse that for now. There was a marked difference between allies and pawns.

He experimentally moved for the exit. When nobody stopped him, his confidence waxed. At length he reached the outside and the construction of Garthag's bastion upon the tundra. He spread his wings with a low rumble and lifted into the sky.

A recreation flight was all he intended - a respite from the white mage's oppressive citadel of ice. The glittering ice fell away as he lifted higher, higher into the frigid air. Through the azure he soared, over the breathtaking montane panorama, until he left all signs of civilization far behind.

Or so he thought.

It was a tingling at first, an intrusion into the back of his mind. Piqued, he began spiraling downwards towards what he deemed the source - a secluded valley tucked between two mountain spurs. The tingling only escalated ever so subtly, until it became a distinct mantra of lament. Perplexed, Demon banked his wings to land in the center of the valley.

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"Banquet...?" Sage mused, shaking his head in incredulity. His pragmatic mind immediately refuted the notion, as stakes were too high. Nonetheless, he could feel his senescent bones demanding relaxation, no matter how he stamped the feeling down. "A banquet it is," he sighed. "But have no doubt - matters will be discussed. I come with news that cannot wait long."

Not the least of which concerns one of your youngest, Merrin, he contemplated as a silent afterthought. Should he warn her? No, he decided. The vitality of youth was not his to mantle.

Not yet.

------------

News of a banquet coursed through Vryngard like wildfire. Since the beginning of the war, the Renegades had found little cause to celebrate. But now...

Not only had the Star Crystal been reclaimed, but there was news of an alliance. An ancient alliance, and one that could ultimately tip the scales in this war. The old slights of the past were not at all touched upon, and the suspicions borne of history's mistakes quickly melted away. Granted, the Renegades would remain silent and wary in a Druid's presence. But when their absence, excited whispers hissed through Renegade halls - whispers of salvation.

As to be expected of a happy optimist like him, Kendath took the news of a banquet remarkably well.

"A what?" he demanded, spinning around, his dark eyes flashing.

The messenger boy, quailing under the older man's glare, wisely gave ground. His eyes darted from the former Meiltha to the bedchamber's door. "A - a banquet...?"

"That explains a lot," Kendath snapped. "Is this what you imbeciles do on a daily basis?"

"I - uh - " The messenger stuttered and generally presented himself as a pleasant idiot.

Kendath reached for his sword.

"Three hours, at nightfall!" the boy squeaked. Taking one wide-eyed glance at the glittering falchion, he scurried from the room.

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