Chapter 1:
All of your questions will go unanswered
When told by your clan leader to take a couple of eggs and run, one does not question why. But Saiberu, being a hardly older than a hatchling herself, only blinked and looked up in confusion at the great Imperial leader of her adoptive clan.
"Little Saiberu," the great leader said again, impatiently shifting the two lightning eggs in his claws. "I know you haven't been with us long, but you must listen to me." He bent his neck down low to the young guardian- who was by no means little, but was very much dwarfed by the larger Imperial.
"Sir... why am I taking these two eggs from their nest? Can those who laid them not care for them? Would this clan not have the means for two more eggs- you did take my lost egg upon yourselves..." Saiberu uttered confoundedly, tail curling around one of her legs. "Lairmaster, what is going on?"
The great Imperial did not answer her. His neon blue eyes blinked slowly as he turned from Saiberu to gaze out at his large and prosperous clan. "When we found your egg out in the Shifting Expanse and took you in as one of our own, all was right among our ranks," he told Saiberu, his eyes lingering on a few frolicking hatchlings playing with their friends, their parents looking on contentedly. "Now, young one," he murmured, lowering his voice. "Not everything is as it was when you became one of us..."
"But I was only hatched a month or so ago, Leader. What's wrong?" she whined, the fins on her face quivering nervously. The Imperial leaned over to nuzzle the bright eyed Guardian.
"Hush, little one. I do not wish for you to suffer as I foresee we all shall- you are too young. Come- let us discuss this elsewhere."
"S-suffer? Wha-" Saiberu stammered, keeping her voice low as the clan Leader moved away, motioning for her to follow. He placed the two eggs on his back as he padded lightly through the magnificent cavern that was the lair he commanded, Saiberu right behind him.
As they went, malicious eyes followed them. They shone bright pink from one of the darker shaded places of the excavated cavern, and beside them gleamed several pairs of different eyes... resolve clearly shown in their gazes. Saiberu's skin crawled beneath her scales as she noticed the glares of her clanmates... directed at the Lairmaster.
The Guardian swallowed thickly.
The Lairmaster led Saiberu back to his den, where his Pearlcatcher mate rested- or rather... sat rigidly upright, alertly watching the den entrance. "Is this the young hatchling the came from the egg we rescued, dear?" she asked, clutching her pearl close to her chest as she looked over Saiberu.
"Yes, darling. This is Saiberu, and I've decided to enlist her help," he told her, moving to sit beside her. The Lairmaster turned and faced the young Guardian, ruffling his wings as he gathered his thoughts and his mate took the two eggs from his back to cradle them in her arms.
"Lairmaster, what is it you need from me? I will gladly carry out whatever task it is you need of me." Saiberu stood straighter as the gaze of her Leader settled thoughtfully on her.
"Saiberu... what I ask of you is to take these two eggs and flee this place," he said, his face resolute, albeit a touch of sadness. "As I'm sure you noticed when we were walking here... there are some who reside here that are unhappy with me as their leader... they hold me in contempt."
"We fear," his mate chimed in, "That they will attempt something drastic, and we know not who has rallied with them."
Saiberu's tail laid flat on the ground, white wings hung limply at her flanks. Someone wanted to overthrow the Lairmaster? Why would any dragon want to usurp this benevolent Imperial? "Wh... why?" she uttered, her eyes wide with horror.
"I don't know, Saiberu," the Imperial answered soflty, his face showing clearly his heartache... how it hurt him so to be viewed as such a horrid leader. "There is no way to know just who has turned against me, but I know for sure that you hold no ill will towards me, young one." He lifted his head. "Please, take these two eggs and escape from this place. I fear that the bloodbath to come will spare none but those who instigated it..." He fell silent for a moment, closing his eyes.
"I ask this of you because I know I cannot save everyone- there is too much I do not know. If I was to request any long time member of my clan to do this for me, they could be one of those against me... and that would end badly."
"I'll do it, Lairmaster," the Guardian said, drawing up her wings and moving towards the Imperial and the Pearlcatcher. She touched noses with the female Pearlcatcher and exchanged farewells with both of them. "I will safeguard these eggs as if they were my charge!" Saiberu rumbled, moving to nudge said eggs upon her shoulders. Lifting her wings slightly, she created a small depression on her back so that when she stood straight and walked, there would be a place for the eggs to stay put as she moved.
There was to be a
lot of moving in the journey to come.
As Saiberu made her way out of the main entrance of the massive, underground lair- the only home she had ever known- a lone growl sounded back within the lair. Saiberu stopped and turned, her eyes searching the blackness of the entrance tunnel.
"Run, little Guardian, you never belonged here," rasped a voice that struck through Saiberu like lightning. The young Guardian paced away from the yawning blackness of the tunnel opening- the chill that the stranger's voice sent through her bones shook her thoroughly... and said stranger could see that clearly.
A pair of darkly glinting, pink eyes narrowed at her sharply before their owner turned quickly, darted back into the lair, and ran in the general direction of the Lairmaster's den.
Saiberu lashed her tail in anger, wanting to take the traitor down and end all of this before it got the chance to continue- but she knew she was powerless to do anything other than what she had been told.
No doubt... the pink set of eyes belonged to one such former clanmate of hers that wanted the current Lairmaster's authority... and would most likely cut down and snuff out the great Imperial's life with joy in order to achieve such a malevolent goal.
The thing that the Lairmaster so feared was happening very much sooner than later.
"
Mutiny!" she gasped in a hushed tone.
Saiberu's heart sunk, her throat drying out instantly as dread filled every inch of her.
I will keep these eggs safe, Lairmaster... in your honor! she thought, new determination moving her away from her home as she carried on through the Lightning farm and in the direction of the outer edge of the Shifting Expanse.
A roar boomed suddenly from behind her, and Saiberu jumped, wings up to keep the eggs from falling. A chorus of howls and snarls met the powerful roar, and the shrieking that came after drove invisible claws deep into Saiberu's heart.
Lairmaster..! I know he's strong, but he can't fend off his whole clan! The Guardian slowed and dug her claws into the gravelly sediment below her, tentatively turning sideways to look desperately back at the cave entrance that was somewhat smaller now.
I cannot go back... I'd be letting him down! I must keep going- must fulfill the role given to me! she thought, shaking her head and picking up her feet, trudging on further and further until she could barely hear the wailing that seemed to grow louder and louder the further she traveled from her home. At length, she wasn't sure how far she had moved, but the anguished cries seemed to well up from somewhere every time she thought they had died down.
My clan... my family... dead. I am so far from them, yet I still hear their cries- how long will they haunt me? Their spirits must be giving chase- how long will they follow me?
