When Bianca reached Ensmoire, she found an excited Quetz. He screeched and flapped his wings as he rushed to her. His tail was swishing on the ground as he came to nuzzle her, as if congratulating her. Suddenly her head snapped up as the sound of another dragon's wings drifted over them in the sky. Rirsyr dove behind them and landed gracefully on the ground. His brilliant green scales glittered in the evening sun matching the glitter of Quetz's scales.

Bianca stepped in front of the dragon, mesmerized as hell with an expression that was serious, yet contained excitement and joy. She had heard that the king of Aztec had a dragon but she had never anticipated that he would be so much bigger than Quetz. She stood there in front of him as her breathing became ragged. She watched him and he watched her. "You are beautiful," she muttered.

​​

Rirsyr bowed to her majestically.

The way they looked at each other, it was as if there was some unsaid communication going between them, as if they knew each other for a long time, yet they were meeting each other for the first time.

Brantley introduced her to Rirsyr. "This is my dragon, Rirsyr."

"He is beautiful," she breathed. Knowing who she was, Rirsyr lowered his head for her to touch him. At first she hesitated, but as soon as she touched his snout, electricity zapped momentarily and she felt as if there was some connection between them. She gasped and became curious to know more about him.

Rirsyr padded closer to her and lowered his head further into her palms. She rubbed his brow and he stood there patiently.

'She is beautiful,' he said to Brantley. 'I can't wait to take my queen to Aztec.'

Brantley chuckled. "He likes you a lot!"

Bianca's telltale blush appeared on her face. "Thank you," she said to him. "I am honored to meet you Rirsyr." She placed her hand on her heart and bowed.

'As am I.'

"Shall we?" asked Brantley. He pointed to his dragon's back.

Bianca nodded gently. Rirsyr lowered his neck and a wing. Bianca held a spike and Brantley took the opportunity to palm her and boosted her up over the dragon. He mounted him after her and then Neal mounted.

Quetz was waiting with Dawn, Darius and Daryn.

The portal opened and Rirsyr asked Quetz to first enter it. When he disappeared, Rirsyr took to the sky and then turned and dived right into the portal. Brantley closed his grip around Bianca so that she didn't fall.

The portal closed behind them immediately. And on the other side was desert… a sun-scorched desert. As Rirsyr flew above the desert, Bianca could feel hot air blowing against her skin. Within minutes, her skin felt dry.

The sun was setting already and far in the distance, she saw sacrificial pyres that were burning bright.

"That's the capital of Aztec, Azelia," said Brantley. "My people are making offerings to the dark gods to end this dryness, this abomination…" his voice drawled. "Water has become extremely rare and we have to fetch it from other kingdoms. Thankfully because of my ties with Ixoviya, there is a breather, but still it is a commodity that is traded in gold."

Bianca felt a surge of unhappiness in her heart. She felt for the people. It was as if she felt it on herself.

"Our stores of water are almost gone and people have no choices but to leave Aztec and go and live elsewhere. However, it's not easy to find asylum in other places. They are ridiculed and always treated as a second citizen, mostly because of different powers. Some have ended up as blood vassals in Wilyra." There was a tinge of regret and sadness in his voice that made her feel horrible.

"What do you mean blood vassals?" she asked. It sounded like a pathetic arrangement.

"Wilyra is ruled by the vampire king Lazarus and his wife Emma. In order to contain his people from going out and seek blood, he had introduced this concept. People who seek asylum in his kingdom have to pay by feeding their blood to the vampire population. And Azelians are immortals—one of the best blood vassals Lazarus and his people can get."

"That's disgusting!" Bianca cried. People were willing to get into such a loathsome agreement only to live in better conditions. "You must stop them!"

"I tried stopping many, but conditions here are too bad. They just leave."

Rirsyr crossed a dust shrouded mountain as the sky turned a hue of pale orange and periwinkle. The vast expanse beneath was plain with a few sand dunes lazily dotting the surface. Bianca couldn't imagine that this was once a lush green place. "Once this place is restored, we must visit Wilyra and get your people back."

Brantley threw his head back and laughed at Bianca's innocent proposal. "If you like we can always try it, but I highly doubt they will return because they are well settled over there from thousands of years."

But Bianca wasn't the types to give up. "We will find out a way," she murmured. She looked ahead towards the fires burning the distance and asked, "Do they know about our wedding?"

"No, but I am sure it will be a shock for them. I will be announcing it in my palace and the courtesans will do the rest."

Rirsyr dipped a little down and after they crossed yet another dust storm, Bianca saw the palace.

Wedged between two mountains that were devoid of any vegetation, the palace spanned the entire width of the opening in front of the mountains and spread beyond into the valley that spread to god knows how much more. Dim lights were glowing all around the palace and it stood starkly against the desert, which surrounded it. Built with white marble stone, it looked beautiful from above.

"There was a waterfall right behind the palace, which fell high from the mountains and was breathtakingly beautiful. There was—" he choked. His kingdom had really become a patch of brown and yellow.

Bianca stroked his forearm that was on her stomach instinctively.

Rirsyr dipped low. He inclined at an angle and spread his wings wide to glide in the air. He hovered over the palace and then landed gracefully over the roof. All the while Brantley had held Bianca tightly. He had instructed Neal to grip him strongly. As soon as they landed, Rirsyr spread his wings for Bianca to step over them. With Brantley's help, she hopped and stood on his wing. Rirsyr lowered his wing to the ground gently to let his queen step on the floor.

She smiled and said, "Thank you Rirsyr."

The dragon bowed to his queen. Once they had dismounted, he took to the air. Brantley asked them to step aside for Quetz to land.

Everyone was there within the next few minutes, and when she turned to walk in the palace, she was startled to see that there was a battery of courtiers and servants standing, and all of them were trying their best not to see her directly. They bowed to their king who walked with his fingers intertwined with her. Bianca gulped.

When they reached the end of the line, a man with rich brown skin and straight black hair that reached his shoulders, caught her eye. He looked like a general of the army. His black eyes were like night's darkness. A sword was attached to his hip and his movements were very rigid. Five cords were attached to the shoulder of his jacket, which ended at the medals on his chest.