Chapter 4
It was the first gathering of the crown royals since the introductions. They had a few matters to discuss that were important to maintaining the safety of Nevarah and its continued existence. The hunt tended to lead to a hard time scheduling these meetings but they did try to have one each week of the hunt when time permitted. Most would think that they wouldn’t need a meeting so soon in the first week of the hunt but they would be wrong. Events of this caliber always needed check ins so that they could fix anything that came out that was dangerous or troublesome.
Each royal found their way to their seat at the little tea table. Each waited to see if anyone had any pressing matters to speak on first. So Dawne shifted once no one else seemed to have anything to share.
“I will go first then today,” Dawne said as she watched each of them. “Earlier this week we had a rather unusual event happen at the Dive,” she prepared everyone with that statement or so she hoped.
“We had a rogue portal that broke above the dive. The person that fell was a newly inherited that somehow bypassed the Nevarah Gates and was able to use their wings like a seasoned Dragel flier.” Dawne paused letting that sink in to the other royals.
“What do you mean bypassed the Gates!?!” Ebony exclaimed her hair flashing as her agitation seemed to set off.
Alacandor raised an eyebrow also curious but not saying anything yet since Ebony so gracefully shared how they were all feeling about that statement.
“Please continue Dawne,” Raspen said, nodding to Dawne.
Dawne took the nod and carefully gathered her words again then resumed the explanation. “Said portal break led to the mentor being found. The early inherited then seemed to cycle through three different appearances: One classified as their Royal form, one classified as their Gheyic form and the final being a self proclaimed Civilian form.” Dawne said that seemed to catch Alacandor’s attention more readily than anyone else's.
Dawne watched Ebony and Raspen seeing if they had any questions before she nodded and continued. “Reports from the responders to the portal break stated that one of the Lunarian Refugees knelt before her and called her princess. Shortly after that she passed out and her medic mentor took custody of her. The only thing that the responders remember is that she is a petite female with silvery blonde hair and had blue eyes. The changing outfits seemed to confuse them as to what she was wearing. The only other detail that was shared was that she had Feathered wings that covered possibly scaled wings due to her Lunarian heritage.” Dawne said as she finished and sat back down.
“So we have no name for the security breach that this female represents?” Ebony asked, looking one wrong answer away from trying to incinerate something.
“Why don’t we issue a summons to her mentor if the responders know the mentor and have them bring the girl before us? Clearly if they took custody of her she is staying with them yes?” Alacandor said something that Ebony hadn’t thought about yet.
“We also have no idea which court she falls under, so there for that might be the only way we will have a chance to get her before the four of us,” Dawne said thinking about how to word the request. As she began thinking about her brother and the young woman he had described to her and if there was a possible connection between the portal breaker and him.
“Either way she needs to come to a summons from us, we have questions that need answers,” Ebony said finally having gotten her temper under control. It was not long after that statement that the Alarms went off in their room. The Royal Guards rushed in and took each of the crown royals to their secure rooms.
The rooms they were taken to were called the Pillar room. Each element had one in their respective palaces so that they could commune with Nevarah during an emergency better and keep the elements calmer.
As each royal started to center in their Pillar room they were allowed to see where the breach was and what was happening. They each saw the energy that was being used to contain the darkness that was the Fabrine. When the energy pushed back the Fabrine and sealed them out again the Royals were shocked as they released their hold on the elements of Nevarah.
As they exited their pillar rooms they all knew one thing for sure. Nevarah liked the new power that pushed back the Fabrine.
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Before the Royal Meeting
“Lewis senpai, can we go to the hunt today?” Serenity asked a few days later once she had a better handle on the basics of what she was now. She was still not sure how this worked with her being lunarian but she was taking everything in stride.
Her first day with the Peverelle circle had been a little overwhelming as they figured out that she was a nameless Dragel with empathy as her gift. What startled them was the depth of her empathy.
She was very sensitive which they couldn't figure out why. Dampening spells were learned quickly and applied when she woke and went to breakfast each day.
This morning felt a bit different to Serenity, reasons she couldn't tell except that she felt that she needed to be out in the hunt today. So she looked at Lewis who was startled by her question first thing this morning. Logically Serenity knew she would have to register and formally possibly hunt but she just wanted to see what was going on and try to be among the people before she had to worry about too much with her place in society.
“I don't see why we can't go down to the hunt, I've been given a little leave to help you settle due to the early inheritance and it being the hunt. I only have to respond to emergency calls for the most part,” Lewis said as he looked over at Avery.
“I’ll shadow you both today, Its one of my days off before I have to do patrols,” Avery said grinning as he saw the happiness that sparked in the little submissive as she hugged Lewis.
“Thank you, Arigatō,” she said slipping back into her earth native language for a moment.
“Finish breakfast and then get ready,” Lewis said as he smiled at his bubbly energized mentee. A single moment passed between the hug and an agreement of “hai hai” then the little lunarian seemed to go from a full plate of food to empty in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
“She'd give Anderson a run for the title of buffet champion,” Avery said with a chuckle. “But now where does it all go?” He said as he saw her give thanks for the food and rush off to her room to change.
“Energy I feel like it is converted instantly into magic or energy for her,” Lewis said stunned as he watched her turn the corner.
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During the Royal Meeting
Perryton stood there dressed lightly for the hunt. He was not in all the royal finery, looking like a high noble instead of royal as he pulled his hair back into a braid simply. He had a feeling he needed to be down in the hunt today. Something felt like it was guiding him to be in a specific area.
He had begged off his royal guards so that he didn’t attract attention right now. He didn’t want anyone to know that there was a royal among the crowd. It never ended well. He looked over the wares of the stalls near him as he tried to figure out what had called him here.
“You’ll know when the time comes,” said an airy voice as Perry looked up and saw a young girl before him. She was wearing a purple tunic dress that stood out against her ivory skin and dark hair. It was her deep purple eyes that seemed to draw him in.
“What do you mean?” he asked the girl as he looked at her for a moment.
“You are where you are needed but you won’t know why until a little while from now, but don’t worry you will keep everyone safe, just don’t let them fall,” the girl said as she turned and ran off towards two women waiting for her.
As he walked through the market he felt a little confused by what was said to him but shook his head as he listened to the world around him. A light laugh that seemed to make him turn to look for it as if it held some power over him. There was a shift as if something was about to happen like the feeling was about to break and show what he had been feeling all day.
Perryton looked and he saw a wisp of silver take off racing through the crowd suddenly heading towards a crossroad. He looked confused as he saw the Medic from the dive and a Gheyo take off after the silver wisp that had taken off. Perry started to make his way through the crowd when he felt the power wash out. He felt at peace as he looked upon the angel that was saving their people.
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Before the Breach
Serenity was excited as she was given a token by Lewis which would allow her to buy some things for herself as she walked about the hunt. Lewis had been explaining that it was her id and bank card. So while everyone moved around her she paused her smile faded as a serious look took its place.
She looked up to the sky then took off in a run slipping between the civilians. Lewis was startled as he saw her run like hellhounds were nipping at her heels.
“Avery!” Lewis said as he saw the gheyo go to alert. They both trailed after the little submissive. Her hair was a streamer behind her as she seemed to not even be touching the ground in her hurry.
Serenity found herself standing at a cross road. She looked at the building before her before she placed her hand against the wall and looked up barely breathing as she saw the crack start.
Instinct took over and she channeled her power she saw the pointed top and used it as a focus. She took a deep breath as her wings flared and grew in size flowing back behind her as her tunic dress shifted to the gossamer gown of her Royal form. Her crescent mark appeared upon her brow as she felt the power flood her body.
Using the building to focus the power upwards serenity casted out a golden shield that curved up to contain what ever was breaking through.
The wards shuttered as she felt the darkness explode into the dome shield that she had created against the wards. Emergency calls began to go out as Lewis stood wide eyed as he saw the silver glow of power encompassing his mentee.
Gheyo began to portal in as they were told what was going on. They saw the single figure holding the Fabrine back with sheer magic and power.
“Where are the Fabrine?” One of the younger Gheyo asked as they looked ready to fight.
“Being held at bay,” said one of the aces that were standing there. They all watched as the dome began to shrink and push back the darkness.
Mages were the next to portal in as this process began they were shocked that it was not a coven doing this as they saw the gheyo keeping the civilians back from the large feathered wing Dragel standing there.
The mages could see the strain that was happening but couldn't seem to get closer to her when they went to help.
No one seemed to be able to slip through the waves of power. Which could be a good thing or bad depending. The mages watched as she pushed the Fabrine back through the breach. They were awed as she shrank down the dome until it met the breach and melded with Nevarah’s wards sealing the hole with a shimmer of power.
Everyone was surprised as the figure stopped channeling and stepping back from the wall. A flurry of feathers faded into moon dust as they returned to a normal size again instead of half the length of the crossroad. The gown faded back to her tunic. She waivered on her feet as people watched her.
Lewis watched a regal figure rushed to Serenity as she began to collapse. She seemed to be looking for someone as she waivered on her feet. It was a near thing that the young submissive almost met the ground as the figure that had rushed barely caught her.
A flash of light encased the figure and the female figure. Lewis moved to protect his mentee. Watching as he noticed that it was Prince Perryton that had caught the young exhausted girl.
There was a startling clap of civilians that wished the prince well with his bonding. Lewis saw the stunned look that the prince was giving as he looked down at the small figure in his arms.
Lewis moved closer to Perryton as he tried to figure out how to help the prince understand what was going on now that he had found the soulbond within serenity. He looked at how in the open they were and his instincts were screaming at him to get them out of the public eye for now. So with a carefully measured thought he took action to start that process.
“We should get both of you off the street right now, she’s too exposed right now,” Lewis said as he watched the prince nod at his words. Lewis watched as the prince looked down at the young female that was in his arms and adjusted how he was holding her. This moved Serenity closer to the prince as he shifted and began to stand with her.
As he stood, Lewis saw Avery move to protect the pair as the prince seemed to be without any gheyo of his own. He was worried about that, what was the prince doing out by himself unbonded and everything. It didn’t sit well with Lewis as he looked at the prince.
“Do you have any Gheyo with you today prince?” Lewis asked, trying to get the prince back out of the shocked state he was in already. He saw the moment the Prince processed the question and pulled himself back from the shock a bit. That was good. It was not a deep shock for him, just a startling shock.
“No, I had told them I was not going to be out to long but I should report back as I would be the only person unaccounted for right now,” Perry said as he thought about the worry that Dawne was going to have if she found out he had gone off without Gheyo.
“I think you are still in to much shock right now Prince, so my bonded and I would like to take you and my Mentee back to our place until you can portal on your own, if you tried now I believe it would either fail or break,” Lewis said as he slipped into Medic mode.
It was when Perryton went to agree that a Royal Suite portaled in to take control. They all came down close to the prince almost in a ring about him.
“Prince Perryton, we are here to take you back to the palace on the Crown princess’ order,” The ACE of the suite said, letting Lewis and Avery know that they could not override anyone at this point.
The only thing that this statement did was truly snap Perryton out of his Dazed state as he realized they would try to separate him and the little submissive in his arms. His instincts would not allow that, not right now. “We will have three guests then,” Perryton said as a fact.
“I have found my soul bonded out here with her mentor and his bonded.” He watched the ACE assess the three that seemed to be the closest to the prince now. One being Lewis Peverelle another Avery Peverelle.
“As you say sir, let us put you three in the center so that they can get through the Emergency wards of the Portal Room,” the ace said as the suite started to circle around the three passengers.
Once everyone was in place the ACE called out “Temptrificus Protgas,” The Portal arrived smoothly in the Air Palace’s portal room.
As the Gheyo started to step down from the portal platform the doors to the room burst open and Dawne rushed in as she spotted her brother.
“Perry!” She said but found herself held back by one of the ACE’s as they realized that Perryton was snarling at Dawne. It took Dawne a moment but she noticed what was going on and once her feet were returned to the floor she stepped back from her brother as the ACE started to try and calm down Perryton.
“Peace Prince she means you and your intended no harm,” the ACE said as Dawne calmed down and made sure she nodded in agreement hoping that he would leave his protective stance soon.
“I am glad that you and your intended are safe after the breach brother,” Dawne said as she saw her brother drag himself back from the edge.
“Thank you for that Dawne,” Perry said as he then took a breath then said “Let me introduce my intended’s mentor Lewis Peverelle,” Perry added as he tried to get the attention off of him and his submissive.
“Well met Mentor Peverelle,” Dawne greeted with a smile.
“Well met Crown Princess, This is my bonded Avery, he is the first of my circle’s Gheyo to return from off realm,” Lewis stated so that the Gheyo would understand that he had kept protection nearby for them.
“Well met Avery,” The Royal Guard ACE said as a nod was exchanged between the Gheyo.
“Let us get somewhere less exposed, we still have to partially follow emergency protocol, I will not be shuffled away from my brother,” Dawne said glaring at the Gheyo as they grumbled but let her lead the way to one of the secure rooms.
Lewis was appraising the room as they entered. He saw many couches placed about the room so that multiples could sit or lay out comfortably. Lewis watched Perry as he went and claimed a couch for the still unconscious submissive. He also watched as the prince was brought a chair to sit beside her. He was glad that the prince wasn’t trying to be to familiar with his mentee before they even really talked.
“So... What happened?” Dawne asked as she watched her brother watching the young submissive.
“That’s just it, we're not sure what truly happened,” Lewis said, pausing to look at Avery. “I only noticed when she took off,” Avery admitted to the room. Dawne frowned, not sure if she was going to like what she was hearing as of yet. She did remain quiet to let those there take a moment to gather their thoughts.
Lewis let out a small sigh as he started again. “We don’t know what triggered it when my mentee took off while we were in the market before the breach,” Lewis paused thinking about the sequence of events before continuing. “She reached the building that was right below the breach where it started, but before the breach actually started,” Lewis paused letting everyone take in what he had just said.
Before he went to continue explaining the events as he saw them a tired voice sounded. “I should not use so much of my energy at once,” the voice said softly as everyone’s eyes turned to the couch. The entire room watched as the previously unconscious female moved to sit up. Worry ran through Lewis as he wanted to move beside her but she seemed to be doing okay right now.
“Gomen nasai, I am so sorry for worrying you Lewis Senpai,” she said as she innocently opened her eyes before she seemed startled that they were not alone back at the Peverelle home. It was a flood of worry that was directed her way. She took a moment then looked at her mentor.
“I couldn’t let so much malice and evil come in and hurt so many innocent people who were unaware of the danger,” she said, rambling at her mentor a bit as her energy still rather low but it was trying to shift as the room’s emotions began to shift from worry about what happened to shock without context of what actually happened. Clearly the little submissive needed to tell the whole story from her perspective.