Accolade, a city with a history linked to dragons. Established on the site where the first Tarragon slew Infernus, it stood as a holy city to any who wished to learn about the written history. Those who studied the deities, and their creations would come to present their research before a council of representatives who’ve spent their life studying the texts. Consistency was their goal. Every bit of knowledge presented must be in line with what’s current. Any that failed to meet the specifications was rejected at best. At worst, imprisonment awaited them. Along with the criminals and heretics. One would wonder why such a city would impose cruel punishment. Another would wonder if it's because it has something to hide.

***

A huff sank Mushi’s shoulders as she, Glacia, and Tanka assembled around a table on a street in Accolade. A waitress drifted to their table, planting three glasses of water before scooping the coins that lay between the women. “Now that you’ve heard that, I have a question for you, Glacia.” Mushi said before taking a sip of her glass then setting it aside. “Do their judgments add up from a sensible standpoint? In what other place is free thought a condemnable offense?” She glanced at Tanka, sipping from her glass with both hands, as if awaiting an answer from her as well.

Tarragon. The answer was obvious. But Glacia knew she didn’t have the complete picture of the order. Her knowledge only came from what she’d experienced in the short year she’d been a Tarragon. Normally, from what Mushi explained, the city’s decisions were not rational. There would have to be a reason why. “What if there were an extraordinary case?” The statement piqued the table’s curiosity. “Say, for example, they discovered an unpredicted outcome a century after. Reasonably, you would connect the dots linking it back to its origin. To deny it would be normal, but to imprison whoever brought it forward is where their judgment loses ground. It’s impossible to defend their decision as they’re less than pragmatic.” After a moment of grinding her teeth, Glacia stood from her chair before peering at the night sky. “I’ll not waste another minute with tales and history lessons. I’m not interested in any of it.”

“Hold on a sec, little one.” Tanka said, as Glacia glared at her. “What she has to say is well worth your time.” She passed her glass to Trillon, allowing him to finish the rest of her water. “As per your request, I’ll get to the point. We think we know how to lure the Ash here.” The glare turned into astonishment. “Don’t be too loud now. Just listen a bit. Your first encounter with it could’ve just been a coincidence, but Mushi told me more about the creature. Just like it found you, it’s been hunting Tsunashi the same way. Our thought was maybe it’s hunting other dragons. Maybe it’s the reason we haven’t seen another dragon in the area.”

Their assumption made sense from Glacia’s knowledge, but she knew another reason the dragons were hiding. “Elysia’s at fault.” Glacia said. “They commanded the Tarragon to up our hunting of dragons. Even with our low numbers. Dragons could be hiding because of us.” Glacia replanted herself in her chair.

“Genocide? Perhaps whoever is leading this dragon rebellion has a good reason for doing what they are.” Mushi took a big whiff of the air. Her nostrils flared, causing Glacia to look in disgust. “It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it? Ignoring the smell of cheap food, the night air smells fresh. I haven’t been up this late since back in my restless days!”

“Ugh.” Why am I here? Overlooking her question, Glacia leaned forward, adding. “Go on. I want to hear the rest of it.”

“Fine.” Mushi sat up in her chair. “We’ve been here maybe half a day now, which has given me the time to regain my bearings of the place. I seldom visit. Anyhow, I’ve checked the local libraries for material on dragons. In most, not all, I found damning information that points us in a direction.” She paused and cleared her throat, scanning Glacia’s deadpan expression. Tanka’s eyes went wide, as if Mushi had gripped her by the gut. A moment of suspense passed, and she continued. “Each book didn’t hold a sliver of disagreement. No conflicting information, no theories, merely about a city rising from the ashes of dragon kind. Little do its people know the fire from their rise burned the blood they found it on.”

Discontent with the angle the conversation turned, frustration developed on Glacia’s face. “What did that have to do with anything? Should we care? Whatever this city’s politics, it’s no business of mine.” Glacia said in a monotone. “My order is to execute that black dragon. For no one else’s sake but my own.”

Taken aback, Mushi placed her palm on her forehead. “By Astraea, so narrow minded. Are you really so selfish?”

“Yes!” Glacia’s reply was loud and clear. “Use the Goddess’ name all you’d like. She won’t assure my freedom. Whatever I can find in that library will, and I’m sick of people like you tugging at me like I’m on some kind of leash. I’m not some hero nor the Gardenia. I’m not my mother.”

“It’s that part you’re misunderstanding!” said Mushi. “What’s done here has everything to do with you. As part of that history, your life could be in just as much danger as anyone else who spoke against the council. By your very nature as an abnormality of the ether, you are one of the most differing topics of dragon history. No human has ever fused with an etheric beast like a dragon and been able to wield their ether as their own. If you value your own life, then you should care.”

She could have a point. They know that I’m here because of the guards that were watching me earlier. My only alternative is to leave and doing that would only make me an easy mark. Shingling took place from behind Glacia, urging her to spin around as it closed in. Before her was an elf she’d thought she had seen before, wearing a maid outfit with a bomber jacket. Cassandra from Infinity. “A maid? Do you work with that Minhki who owns the stall?”

Cassandra looked at her, dumbfounded, seeing as the two of them had a brief exchange merely hours ago. “You don’t recognize me?” Glacia’s returned deadpan stare lingered over her. “Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. “I work at Infinity. As if an Elf would just be wandering these soiled streets. Anyway, Leora has tasked me with monitoring our guests. The two of you being said guests, but particularly the blind one. Leora’s worried that she might end up in the river and you might wind up in trouble after Izaki and Tsuna returned without you.” She walked over to their table and sat down, crossing her legs. “I’m Cassandra. Just act like I’m not here.”

That Elven woman is extremely vigilant. She seems to consistently be prepared. Is there something I should expect? “Right…” At least this confirms I’ll have a place to sleep. Glacia turned back to Mushi and Tanka. “Now, tell me what this glorious scheme has to do with me or why I should even be a part of it. You had me for a minute with luring the Ash here, but overall, that could be too dangerous for everyone, so I’d doubt that be your plan. Honestly, I could easily sneak into the Grand Library by myself without drawing attention and figure out my own way of bringing it out.”

Tanka cackled. “Do you really think it will be that easy?” Covering her mouth, she snorted louder. “Go ahead then. Take what you need from them.” She grinned, able to tell Glacia was glaring at her. “Seriously, we’ll be right here if you need us. You got it, right?”

Such an annoying laugh… Glacia exploded from her chair and stared uphill. “Don’t expect me to return once I get what I want! I have no need for fools who only want to get in my way!” Checking the area for guards, Glacia leaped to the rooftops, jumping from one to the next as she headed toward the palace.

Mushi lifted her hand to her head, drawing a deep sigh and peered at Tanka with disappointment. “There was no need for any of that, Tanka. You can plainly see how prideful she is. All that did was delay.”

“Cha… The girl’s too cocky.” Tanka said, shrugging with a sneer. “How bad could it be if she got humbled a bit?”

“I don’t disagree, but fate has a way of shifting tides.” Mushi turned her attention to Cassandra, who balanced herself on two legs of her chair with hands in her jacket pockets. “Since you’re here, I fear fate has an intent on doing just that” A side glance met Mushi’s eyes, followed by a grin.

“Leora repeatedly says, ‘We all need to break our chains’. Seems like it’s her turn.”

***

Only two guards at the front door. Minimal security for a place with a dinner party. From the rooftop of the palace, Glacia thoroughly surveyed the area. Though there was another level of floors above her, the lights were out. It would be safe to assume that the bedrooms would be on the higher levels. The library is likely to be lower. From the level she was standing, she could see a garden through the small arches. In the center, before a throne, burned the everlasting flame, being watched by eight guards. Each wall had two guards arranged on each side, near multiple entrances that led further into the palace. Down the path on the far wall, she could hear voices and laughter. There’s the dinner party. Most guards would be in there. The other guards must be on the road and maybe scattered around the city to keep the festival in order. If I’m found, the only way to get out of here is by jumping. They’ll spot me easily if I use my wings, so I should avoid that. Coming back to the roof and jumping would be a suitable plan. She tip-toed over to another side of the palace and peeped over the edge. Clear. Spotting a window below her, a tail grew from her backside. The tail went flat on the building and froze, allowing Glacia to hang over the edge and see into the building. Darkness stared back at her as she looked inside. This should be good. A blue claw developed from her finger, and she quietly carved a circle into the glass, then froze her hand to it before precisely sliding the glass out. Voices from below came around the corner, urging Glacia to flip herself back to the rooftop with her tail.

“Now that Sol Impact is here, what do you expect will happen?” A well-dressed man asked, walking alongside another.

“The Titan himself didn’t arrive. He would’ve raised morale for sure. What transpires next will be up to Lady Glyzel. The Captain spoke about a purge and claims to know where the dragon’s nest is. However, we’ll need the Elysians before that can begin.”

“So, they’ve answered the call!” The other man said with excitement in their tone. “And here I thought all they’d send is Sol Impact.”

“They’re still at war with Hyleria. I imagine they would need to cycle soldiers back to reorganize before coming here. Our conflict hadn’t become dire until a few months ago. If anything, they’re moving expeditiously.”

The man turned the corner and their voices faded, a signal for Glacia to slide back down to check her surroundings again. Now, I’m clear. Wasting no time, she inserted her hand through the hole in the window and unlocked it from the inside. Making her way in, she gently pressed her foot on the wooden floor and a creak echoed around the room. “Louder than I hoped. This won’t be as easy to sneak around on.” The room she’d entered looked like an old study. Dust covered the desk in front of her, as well as the bookshelves lined along the wall. “What are these?”

The bookshelf had gotten her scrutiny, with titles relating to dragons. “End of Kingdom Come: The rise and fall of a tyrant.” She fingered through the pages, glancing over notes pertaining to Infernus and his rule. An illustration stuck out on a page she turned past that made her jump back and anxiously scan around the image and its notes.

The limitations of fire ether did not stop Infernus from experimenting significantly on living nature. After the war between the elements, he seized the essence of Sedna and exploited it. From a combination of elements, fusing them with his own pawns, the White Dragon was born.

“Not the library, but there is some useful information here. I wonder if Seriara would agree with any of this.” Dust hanging in the air swept around Glacia’s nose, leading to a sneeze. Covering her mouth, the book fell from her hands and slapped the floor. “Shit!” Slinking toward the door, she listened for movement on the other side and picked up nothing. “I need to move, and fast. Now I just have to find the-.” A bang, something crashed into the door with a force strong enough to knock her back into the desk. Flooding into the room came several guards that attempted to surround Glacia before she could act. A swift kick from Glacia sent a guard flying into a wall, followed by her tail stretching above the others to slam them onto the ground. A hand reached out to her, prompting Glacia to deflect the grapple with a swing of her wrist. “Huh?” Glacia’s hand passed through the arm of the person who reached her. The hand clamped around her neck, their strength lifting her into the air. As she struggled to break free, she looked at her assailant and recognized them as a familiar figure she’d known too well. “You!?” The woman in the feathered cloak stood before her with a face covered in the cloak’s darkness. Looking back toward the guards, she watched as they melted into the floor.

“Ever out of place and constantly doing what everyone tells you to. How will you ever kill your father if you remain so… stagnant?” Her voice slipped from the darkness with a touch of sympathy, that same sympathy easing the grasp on Glacia’s neck. “It is not time for you to be here, nor is it the place.”

Bewildered, Glacia grit her teeth in rage. “Who are you and what do you want from me!?” Glacia closed her eyes, struggling to remove the woman’s still dominant grip. In a fleeting moment, she felt a warmth strike her face as if the sun shined on her. The sensation shot her eyes open, revealing her to a fresh habitat. A radiant sky covered by the crystal trees that surrounded her. The wind blew a salty scent to her, a sign that she was near water. From her left, the sliding of stone provoked her attention. Toward the cloaked woman who stood staring toward the up. Above them, the magnificent construction of Astraea, the symbol of her sovereignty and grace, glistened. The Crossing.

Watchful of Glacia’s confusion, the woman urged her to step forward. “What exists beyond the tower and what exists within? What remains beyond your petty mission and what remains within yourself? Given a consciousness and the capability to think freely, we seek to break any chain of enslavement. Whatever it is, holding you back from your true purpose must collapse. We cannot win wars fighting other’s battles.” Before them, the tower shifted, arches twisting around in different directions. Up, down, forward, backward.

Awed by the spectacle, Glacia’s jaw dropped. “The Crossing… This is where I can make my wish. To bring mom back…”

“A monument within reach.” The woman said. “Yet you impede the dragon’s affairs, as if you had the power to turn the tide. The dragons are not of your concern. Conflagration awaits all but few.”

The words rang in Glacia’s head, clutching onto her bracelet and creating her rapier. “How would you know? You’re just some crazy bitch who keeps following me!”

“Hmph.” The woman smirked. “Defiant until the end. Perfect. That will serve you, to bring you closer to me. To this place. What man calls: The Crossing.”

What does that even mean? She pinched herself and the tower remained before her. This isn’t a dream either. Could she be…? Abruptly, a shockwave burst from The Crossing. A brilliant wave soared through the sky, crossing into the Twin Sea. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed two figures fleeing from the base of the tower. Two men were on the run, enclosed in a crimson essence of ether. “Huh?”

“Break free of this. Make your own fate.” The woman spoke as she looked up the side of the tower. She turned toward Glacia, lifting a finger, and spoke. “Go.” Before sending her flying with a tap.

Wind rushed around Glacia as she struggled against the force of the push. “Hey, wait!” Monochrome colors overwhelmed her vision as she fell into what felt like an endless abyss. Glacia’s mind had gone blank, powerless to comprehend what was happening to her or how much time had even passed. The swirl of colors persisted until she felt her back slam into a grassy surface, the shock returning color to her eyes and finding two crimson orbs floating over her.

“Glacia!? Where did you come from just now?”

The voice was familiar, jogging her memory. “Tsunashi…?” His clothes had changed. What she might consider professional had she not known how lazy he could be. He held her close, the same way he did when they were in the toxic ether. Why him? What purpose did he have in all of this? Did that woman believe him to be an ally? The questions were limitless, and no one could answer them. “Where am I?” He interrupted her question by lifting her in his arms.

“A trail, kilos away from Accolade.”

Glacia felt his heartbeat. Starting off as a rapid succession of thuds, turning into a whirr. He was panicking.

“How the hell did you just appear here? What happened?”

His questions were omitted, while Glacia thought about the experience. Staring blankly at the night sky. Explaining what she’d just witnessed would sound insane to someone who didn’t know. Yet she had no better explanation for why or how it happened. Wait. Those two people with the crimson ether. Could he have been one of them? How? The woman’s words returned to her. Lectures about how she should leave the dragons to their own fight. How all but few will survive in the end. Did that include them? Does she want me to go straight to Elysia? Returning a glance at Tsunashi, she gave him a genuine answer. “I can’t explain it.” Though the mystery puzzled her, she couldn’t hide the excitement that existed within her. If this was a sign of the gods, even they believe it is right that she kills her father.

Puzzled, Tsunashi huffed an irritated sigh. “Damn it! This just made things a lot worse.” Their last encounter replayed through Tsunashi’s mind. I can’t be her protector. A similar image of Seriara turning her back on Infernus played next. The moment that began his downfall. A weakness he could not let overtake him again, with a battle on the horizon. Now, he is not only Infernus, but Tsunashi as well. “I can’t take you back to Leora. There isn’t any time. You’ll stay with me and help me save someone important.”

“I wouldn’t want to go back.” Glacia said instantly. I believe there is a reason he appeared in my life. Either he is the weapon to killing that man or he is the guide. “Wherever you’re going, I’m going too.” The comment took Tsunashi by surprise, the whirring in his chest growing louder. A confident smirk and he departed along the trail with her in his arms. “I only ask one thing from you, Tsunashi.” Tsunashi, initially looking uncertain, nodded to her. “If I explain to you what transpired a while ago, and you know of the image I paint clear, we change our course and break away from all of this. We live for us and chase what we want.”