n

n

n

"Stone of Solaris is a sacred jewel, a ruby the size of a dragon's egg that was stolen from the Kingdom of Aztec more than two thousand years ago. It was a jewel of prosperity and fertility of the kings and also ensured that the line of the kings continued,

" said Brantley.

"The stone was installed in the temple of Chimala of the royal palace from where it was stolen by the raiders. Ever since there have been no heirs to the kingdom. I am the last heir.

"

nDawn was dumbfounded. What he said sounded so unreal and out of place that she just stared at him open mouthed. Her brain was unable to formulate any thought other than the fact that it registered a shock. She closed her mouth and then opened it. She swallowed and a hoarse voice came out,

"So you are two thousand years old?

"

n

"A little more than that. Two thousand and thirty years.

"

nDawn's head went into a tizzy of varied emotions. The man in front of her should have been dead or a skeleton or a ghost but here he was standing hale and hearty in front of her, talking about being the last heir of Aztec and asking her to get the stone of fertility? She stared at him again.

"This is ridiculous,

" she muttered.

n'He is right Dawn,' said Quetz.

nThe sun rose above the tangerine mountains beyond the lake with its golden rays spreading across the rich blue sky.

n

"You must go after the invaders, Brantley,

" Dawn said as she looked into his eyes. If this was true why the hell was he asking her?

n

"We did and we killed all of them, but unfortunately their leader ran away. I personally chased him and slaughtered him,

" he said keeping his hand on his sword.

"But the man's last words were that he had lost the stone. Ever since then, my men had tried to find it, but we couldn't.

"

n

"If your men couldn't, how would I find it?

" she asked in a loud, unbelieving voice.

nBrantley turned around. He walked to Rirsyr and traced a finger from his brow to the neck. He held a spike present just after the neck and looked over his shoulders.

"That is your problem, not mine.

"

nWords left Dawn and she stared at Brantley with anger burning through her chest. There was nothing she could say. Her mind was blank.

n'Throw a deal at him,' Quetz suggested.

nDawn had nothing to say. She couldn't search her mind for anything logical.

n'Dawn!' Quetz had to force his voice on her loudly. 'Answer him! Tell him something.'

n'W— what?'

n'Anything. I don't feel good about it.'

n

"Okay, I will find it,

" her tone was disembodied.

"But you have to listen to my side of the bargain.

"

nBrantley smiled and scoffed. His dragon lowered his head and he climbed it. As soon as he had mounted it, he said,

"Your side of the bargain?

" He held Rirsyr's spikes on the sides.

"Tell me.

"

n

"You have to release Gayle and let all the werewolves leave the Ulfric and I will stay back to find the Stone of Solaris.

"

nSuddenly, loud growls were heard and sound of legs clomping the ground. Dawn looked around and sniffed. The werewolves. Daryn and his team who had gone to search Gayle were arriving. Her confidence returned.

n

"Granted!

" Brantley shouted as the ground reverberated with the sound.

"The gates of the tunnel are going to stay open for the next two hours until everyone evacuates Ulfric. Gayle shall join you soon. But you, Dawn, you and your dragon,

" he said pointing at Quetz,

"you won't be able to leave.

" He snarled.

"And if you try to leave, I will slay your dragon with my hands before he gets fried by my magic seals around Ulfric.

"

nAll the werewolves had started to arrive. The big white wolf with black eyes, the tallest and the most massive of the pack was leading them. The growls grew louder.

nBrantley looked at them and commanded his dragon to fly. Rirsyr swished his tail on the ground, raised his neck, spread his gigantic wings and pushed off the ground. Within a few seconds, Brantley was flying above all of them.

n'Quetz!' Dawn shouted and immediately he too lowered his neck. If Dawn didn't take him high in the air, the werewolves would tear him apart. There were too many of them. She held his spike, and mounted him. 'Fly!'

nThe werewolves could be seen running over the grassy knolls. Some of them had shifted and were looking with shock at Rirsyr and his master who was soaring in the air. But Daryn increased his speed when he saw Dawn next to a giant beast and he howled dangerously. Some other werewolves accompanied him seeing their Luna in danger. 'Dawn stay away!' He sent her a message mentally.

nQuetz opened his wings and took to the sky with Dawn mounted on his.

nDaryn was stunned. He shifted and ran the last few feet on his legs until he reached the place where she was standing. He looked up with wide eyes.

"Dawn,

" he murmured in a cracked voice. Most other werewolves had started shifting. They all looked up at Dawn and her dragon as amazement registered on their face.

n'I am sorry Daryn, I was about to let you know about my dragon, but not in this way. The timing is wrong,' she reached out to him with a plea.

nBut Daryn continued to stare at her as though she had produced that dragon out of her pocket. His brain was unable to acknowledge that Dawn was aboard a dragon. Caleb came to stop right next to him along with Pia. They were as stunned at Daryn was.

nDawn saw them standing together as a family and so wished that her life was just as normal, wished that she was also standing with them. Instead here she was, on her dragon, trying to connect to her husband, to tell him the biggest truth about herself—that she was a dragon rider. 'Can we talk? I have to tell you a lot of things and we don't have much time.'

n'Y— yes,' Daryn stuttered.

n'Then tell your people to stay away from my dragon while we descend, because if they come near him, he will simply kill them.' She didn't want to reveal it to him that he could produce fire that would burn their bodies. Quetz continued to circle above them. Brantley's dragon was flying higher. It was as if he was keeping a watch on them. Dawn realized that they were held as captives.

n'Was it your dragon who ravaged the cottage?' he asked. He still couldn't believe that it was his wife, his Dawn, who was flying above them on a beast.

n'No, when we arrived here, the cottage was already wrecked. But I know who did it,' she replied. 'So please clear the place and allow my dragon to land and I will explain to you everything. Please darling—

"

n

"By Skadi!

" Pia shouted.

"You are one big fraud! You cheated all of us. Daryn had let you go thinking you were a pitiful neotide.

"

nQuetz roared so loudly that Pia flinched. And along with her some others too.

nDawn ignored her. She knew that it was a big thing for all of them. She didn't even know that Quetz would come to her when she shouted his name. 'Ask her to stay quiet or my pet will fry her,' she addressed Daryn.

nDaryn asked his pack to quiet mentally. They cleared the space for the beast to land.

n'Don't even think of attacking him,' she warned. 'Else it would be a gory scene.'

n'No one will attack him,' Daryn assured. But he sounded bitter. She didn't trust him and that gnawed at his soul.

nWhen she observed that everyone was moved away silently, she commanded Quetz to land. As soon as she dismounted him, she asked him to go back to the sky.

n'No Dawn, I don't trust these people. They are very angry with me and so am I. You should have told us about each other.' He looked at Daryn with disgust and jealousy. So this was the man for whom she had cried in the Ensmoire Forest.

nShe bit her lip. 'Yeah! But for now I have to tackle this situation. So please go.' She was still scared that he would injure werewolves at the slightest provocation and she was now the Luna of the pack. She couldn't let that happen. She had to protect her people from her dragon.

nQuetz let out a low gnarl and left.

n

"There's a lot you have to explain, Dawn,

" said Daryn. He strode to her, clenched her arm tightly and took her inside the cottage and continued to walk to their room. Caleb and Pia walked behind them. All other werewolves started to go to their rooms as anger poured out of their mouths.

nDaryn pushed her to the bed as soon as he entered. Caleb and Pia walked in and closed the door.

"Tell me everything,

" he said, containing his fury.

nPia leaned on the door with her arms across her chest.

"Unmark her Daryn,

" she said.

n