“So this is it, huh?” Lyndria asked.

It could have been the dark sky or the dreary surroundings, but the large ruined building meant to be their meeting spot jutted from the ground like a rotten tooth. The cracks in the walls did little to instill confidence. Even the door, two massive stone slabs that looked heavy for even a dragon to open, lay broken just beyond the entrance.

Lyndria sighed. This made her feel as if the plan was destined to fail.

“This place was once used as a meeting ground for the Dracaena,” Eber explained. “Back when we ruled over humans, this was where we settled tettorial disputes, arranged alliances, and even planned executions.”

“And it was likely the first building to be attacked once the war started,” Silias continued. “I’m surprised this much of it is still standing. Compared to when I visited years ago, the damage is minimal. I thought the humans would have saw to it that not even the foundation remained.”

Cutter gave a short laugh as she strolled past them.“This building was designed to house the most powerful dragons in Geolga. It doesn’t break easy.”

“Yes, but the assault on this place still appears to be a half-hearted effort when compared to the building’s significance,” Sareen said. “It is almost as if they abandoned their aspirations of vengeance.”

Lyndria shrugged, already tired of the history lesson. “Does it matter now? Let’s just get this overwith.”

“Yes, we should,” Eber said. “When the negotiations begin, I ask that you allow me to propose our terms. She may be more open to them if it comes from me.”

Lyndria followed the others inside. She couldn’t deny the building must have been impressive in its hayday. Even covered in scorch marks and bullet holes, the architecture gave off a sense of power and entitlement. Only the mightiest of dragons were allowed to walk these halls and it wanted to be worthy of the name.

They entered a large chamber. In the center sat a massive circle made of indentations on the floor. It took a moment for her to realize they were meant to be seats for the Dracaena that used this place. Across from the conclave was a giant hole in the wall too smooth and square-shaped to have been caused by the destruction. Her only guess was that it used to be a window, but all traces of its framework had been removed. Lining the battle-scarred walls were hooks and poles meant to house tapestry and other symbolic cloths humans liked to use. Lyndria never understood the purpose of them. Cloth had proven easily destroyed and hard to maintain.

Everyone picked a seat and sat down. Out of boredom, Lyndria counted the number of spaces meant to be filled. It turned out to be 22.

That many dragons were considered to be Dracaena. Impressive.

Before she could ask how long they would have to wait before Tanor arrived, she noticed the trees outside suddenly bend in the wind.

“She’s here,” Eber said.

It didn’t take long before the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the chamber. Tanor eventually came into view, weaing thin chains adorned with gemstones around her head, torso, and ankles. A large green gemstone hung from her neck. Lyndria shuddered. Something about the stone bothered her. It could have been a trick of the light, but she would swear something inside it moved almost like an eye shifting in its socket.

She decided to keep her focus above Tanor’s neckline.

She doesn’t even have an escort. Then again, who in their right mind would pick a fight with her?

The Matriarch froze upon entering the chamber then a smirk crossed her face. “Well, well, well, isn’t this an interesting dilemma? I promised to kill you if I ever saw you again, however, I agreed to a peaceful negotiation and this place is considered hallowed ground. Only despair awaits those who spill blood here.”

Lyndria clenched her jaw and said nothing. Sareen straightened up but remained silent as well. Eber looked very worried.

Tanor chuckled and continued towards her seat, the furthest from everyone else. “Hello, Eber. It has been too long. 50 years was it?”

“About,” the drake replied. “I haven’t been keeping track.”

“I have,” Tanor responded coldly. “52 years to be exact. It’s been that long since you took my daughters and convinced them to betray me.”

“You mean kept us from being your puppets,” Cutter said.

Silias slapped the floor with his tail. “Enough! The purpose of this meeting was not to bring up old grudges and make threats.”

Tanor casually examined her claws. “I recommend telling your sentinel to hold his tongue. I don’t even let Eber raise his voice to me and I found him worthy to be my chosen.”

“And I recommend you listen to him before you do anything rash,” Sareen said. “As you said, violence is taboo in this sacred place.”

Tanor shot an icy look at the Stormborne, but Eber quickly spoke up.

“You both made your point. Now let’s get to the reason why we’re here. You know the situation. There’s little food, what little water remains has been fouled and poisoned, and the weather worsens by the day. We simply cannot afford to fight amongst ourselves while everything around us descays. We must work together to rebuild this land before it’s too late.”

“Then here is my proposal,” Tanor said. “You all agree to serve me and I’ll forgive your past transgressions. I’ll even allow the four Matriarchs to have their own clans.”

Lyndria said nothing. She already knew where she stood. Sitting across from her was the dragoness responsible for ruining her life. No scenario existed where she accepted life under Tanor’s heel.

“You cannot honestly believe we would acquiesce to such an outlandish proposal,” Sareen said.

“And what exactly do you have to bargain with?” Tanor asked. “I’ve already proven myself more powerful than anyone in this room. I already have control of most of the eastern region, the entirety of the northern mountains, and the swamps to the south. Just about every dragon clan is under my rule barring a few holdouts, but they’re scattered far too thin to be a threat. Not to mention that my clans are thriving. Goods and information are traded regularly and my lands are protected.”

“Really? Because I clearly remember taking down one of your so-called clans by myself,” Lydria said.

Cutter sighed heavily and shook her head but the faintest hint of a smile tugged at her snout.

Tanor looked at Lyndria and blinked. Her expression remained neutral, but her eyes gave away the shock and fury at the revelation. “So that was you? I’m surprised. You’ve grown since your previous defeat.”

“As you can see, these Matriarchs are not as weak as you initially believed,” Eber said. “And you may try to act tough, but the truth is, you have the most to lose. You’re struggling to maintain resources and once your clans begin to starve, they will turn on you, Matriarch or no. You’re powerful, my love, but not even you can take on the entire world.”

“That sounds like a challenge,” Tanor replied, smiling.

“That might get you wet under the tail, but what about your precious vessels?” Cutter asked. “They’re the ones stuck with your clans. You really think they won’t go after them to get to you?”

“It was done before already,” Sareen said. “Olyvia’s kidnapping was likely a revenge plot against Tanor.”

That wiped the condescending grin off Tanor’s face. Lyndria should have appreciated the victory, but her mind was elsewhere. She was too focused on what would come next should the talks fail. Garreth was in place, but what if he missed? What if he didn’t receive the signal or someone else was shot instead? How would the others react if it succeeded? She had never come up with a convincing argument to make them see.

“We can agree to a truce,” Eber said. “In exchange for pacifying the western lands, you acknowledge our sovereignty and allow us to live in peace. And we will gladly count ourselves your allies should the need ever arise.”

Silias quickly cut in. “Think of it as us doing all the dirty work for you. Despite all the regions under your control, the fighting has not lessened which suggests your resources are spread the most thin and that is why the west still remains outside of your control. But through us, you can focus your efforts on shoring your own borders without anyone trying to take advantage of your weakened state.”

Tanor lazily scratched her side. For what felt like the longest time, she didn’t say a word, but her eyes never left Lyndria.

Does she know about the ambush? No, she would have said something by now or I would smell the blood on her when she killed them. Then what is she staring at?

She turned to the others, hoping one of them could give her some insight. They all wore grim expressions and didn’t seem to acknowledge the one-sided staring contest taking place.

Finally, Tanor spoke. “Tempting, but there is one problem. You stole my daughters from me.” She motioned towards Lyndria. “And that one killed one of my vessels. You can’t expect me to simply ignore such insults, can you?”

“Then name your price,” Eber said through clenched teeth.

“My terms are simple. Since because of you all, I’m now missing three vessels, you will provide me with adequate replacements. For returning Olyvia to me, I will consider one-third of your debt paid. That just leaves you with two more. Do this and I’ll gladly give you the sovereignty you crave.”

A cackling sound filled the air. Sareen had risen to her feet.

“Are you suggesting—” she began.

“The two of you will each provide me with one egg to replace what you took from me.”

A deafening crack like thundercloud directly overhead filled the room. Arcs of electricity raced across Sareen’s body.

“I will not use my brood as bargaining chips!” Sareen cried.

“Those are my terms,” Tanor answered calmly. “Or you can offer your lives as payment.” She cut a dark glare at Cutter. “These vessels have been tainted. I will not accept anything from them.”

Now Lyndria was on her feet. “Those are your fucking daughters, not things to be judged and thrown away! And I don’t owe you a damn thing! Delour killed my mother because of you! I’d say we’re even.”

Tanor remained unbothered by the outburst. “Delour killed your mother, not I. And according to the reports I received, you got your revenge on her. Killing my vessel was taking more blood than was due, and for that, you must make amends.”

“Oh please! You don’t care about your daughter and you never did! You just want a new vessel to possess!”

“That does not change that you owe compensation for your actions.”

Lyndria started forward but Cutter got in her way. The blue dragoness shook her head and whispered. “I know you’re pissed but don’t. If you attack her, you’ve broken the terms of the meeting, and all of this amounts to shit.”

“You don’t need to reply right away,” Tanor said. “I understand it is a hard question to answer. I’ll give you until the coming spring to give me your answer and I’ll even refrain from any attacks against you during that time.”

“And should we refuse?” Silias asked with a growl.

“Must I really spell it out for you?”

“Well, lemme save you the trouble right now,” Lyndria said. “You can go fuck yourself. I’ll burn this whole world down myself before I even consider tying my family to yours.”

She stormed out before anyone could reply.

Once outside, she immediately flexed her wings, the signal that the talks had failed. But instead of taking off, she slipped around the side of the ruin and waited.

She wanted—needed to see it. She had to see Tanor’s defeat and know that they had won.

It didn’t take long before Tanor sauntered out of the building, her head held high and a smug look on her face. Lyndria tensed. A sneak attack was a waste of time. It would only ruin their plans.

Suddenly Tanor’s head jerked. The confirming boom echoed through the dead trees. The chain crowning her head fell to the ground. Lyndria stared unblinking so as not to miss a moment when Tanor finally fell.

Tanor’s head drooped and she staggered. Then she planted her feet and raised her head.

Lyndria’s jaw dropped. No, no, no. There’s no way. How?

The Celestial looked around, no doubt trying to determine the direction the shot came from. Lyndria saw the trickle of blood running down her face and the unyielding fury burning in her eyes.

A scratch. All they did was scratch her and piss her off.

The others rushed outside and froze.

“What happened?” Eber asked.

Lyndria clenched her teeth and emerged from her hiding spot. The others had no knowledge or part in this. They would not be left to suffer Tanor’s wrath. She avoided looking at them and kept her gaze on Tanor. It was easy to guess the look of horror likely crossing their expressions. Actually, she couldn’t look away if she wanted to. Tanor’s gaze kept her transfixed. Never had she seen such rage in anyone.

“Yeah, it was me,” she said.

She didn’t even need to look at Tanor to know what the dragoness intended to do next. She turned and ran, knowing Tanor would follow. The goal was to get as far away from the others as possible. They would need time to escape. Garreth and Darien were hopefully already heading back.

She urged as much speed out of her legs as possible but it wouldn’t be enough. Even now, the rumbling in the ground signaled Tanor’s approach, growing stronger with each moment. The air felt colder, making it harder to run. She could see the puffs of air with her heavy breathing and the ground began to feel slick and cold.

Tanor caught her by the neck and dragged her to the ground. She could do nothing as Tanor flung her across the dirt like stone. But she didn’t intend to go down easily. Her awakening wasn’t ready for combat, but it was her best shot. She rolled with the momentum and quickly stood, ready to return fire, only to see Tanor charging. There wasn’t time to react. It felt as if her body had shattered when they collided.

Her legs refused to pick her up again, not that she had the time. A heavy blow came down on her side, forcing out whatever air remained in her lungs.

“And to think I actually respected you,” Tanor said, her voice dripping with venom. “The power to challenge my vessels and you resort to this cowardly tactic?!” She stomped on Lyndria’s head, forcing it deeper into the dirt. Coldness spread from the tips of Tanor’s claws. “Do you have that little self-respect for yourself? You stood before me and claimed to be a true dragon, but you let a human try to do your work for you?”

Lyndria didn’t respond. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t, not with Tanor holding her down. Her body felt cold and flecks of snow fell before her. All she could was glare. She was going to die, that was fine. But Tanor would know that she never caved, never broke. No matter what, she would never have her way.

“I will say I applaud your tenacity,” Tanor continued. “I see it in your eyes. You want me dead. The how doesn’t matter. The who doesn’t matter. Just so long as you get to piss on my grave.” She leaned close until her face blocked out everything else. “But you’re not the only one with a strong will. I will not be brought low by anyone I think is beneath me. If you want my head, you’ll have to take it yourself.”

She removed her paw. Lyndira gulped down air, but her body still felt numb.

Tanor showed no interest in finishing her off. The dragoness paced, lashing her tail against the ground but didn’t strike. “I see how dangerous you are now. You are an interesting one. You have the strongest will I’ve encountered besides my own in centuries. Oh, the things we could do if our bloodlines were joined. If only you weren’t so quick to squander your potential. You could be so much more if you stopped taking the first solution that presented itself.”

Lyndria didn’t see the blow but her side suddenly burned and filled with intense pain despite the numbness of her body. Something warm and wet pooled beneath her.

“You don’t deserve a dragon’s death,” Tanor said. “You can lay here and bleed out in the mud. My only regret is you won’t live long enough to regret that you’ve doomed everyone. I’m done allowing you insects to scurry about and pretend to be in charge. It’s time I ended this pathetic war and brought peace to the world. When the snow finally thaws, the next age will begin.”

Lyndria couldn’t move. Her body refused to budge. Her limbs felt heavy and cold. The puddle she lay in continued to spread without stopping. It hurt to breathe, hurt to think. She could do nothing but watch Tanor leave as the snow fell down around her.

Slowly, she closed her eyes and everything went dark.