THE SLAYER AND THE QUEEN

"You there, behind the tree, why don't you come out and joint us for a chat?" Anesia spoke in an audible voice.

Iliea who would have thought her self-concealed was surprised to have been discovered, her stealth skills were not weak at all, this was the first time she had been called out like such while trying to remain hidden.

She walked out a hand on her sword, fairly light armor downed.

"I can see you are not here to fight little one, you may calm down," Anesia spoke with a mild expression of curiosity on her face.

To be called little one by Anesia who looked like she herself was in her late twenties Iliea raised an eyebrow.

Anesia raised a hand to stop her guards from surrounding Iliea.

"You may run away if you have nothing to say, or join me for a conversation, although if you wish to fight I myself will take you on" Anesia spoke turning away and moving towards the campfire.

Thinking fast, Iliea stepped forward, raising both hands she spoke.

"My name is Iliea, I am from the fort your army attacked a few days ago, I slayed your general and tracked you down, but I do not wish to fight," she eyed Anesia who looked up at her.

"Ah, so you are the one who killed my dearest friend," Anesia spoke calmly brewing tea, as her soldiers all looked at her as well,

"I merely did what I had to" Iliea answered standing still.

"You may lower your arms, I see you as a guest for now, regardless of what you have done," Anesia nodded towards an empty stool in front of her, "have a seat."

Complying Iliea sat down, as the soldiers and others escorting Anesia got back to setting up the camp.

"We are no longer in the White wolf's domain, why do you follow us if you have no will to fight, Iliea?" Anesia spoke looking at the fine built of the woman in front of her.

"I have questions that I believe can be answered if I were to follow you, though I did not expect to be caught," Iliea answered calmly,

"Oh, not only do I sense the curse upon you, I also feel Kaiser's presence," Anesia looked at her neck, "That locket you are wearing. I see."

It occurred to Iliea how it must have looked to Anesia, she was wearing an article of jewelry fashioned from the remains of Anesia's friend.

Definitely not a good start.

Anesia sighed, "I think you have all the right to keep a trophy but please have the decency of not flaunting it here."

Iliea nodded immediately "I am sorry I didn't realize," she immediately took off the locket and pocketed it.

"OH, so that is why you were wearing it" Anesia remarked as soon as she did.

"What?" Iliea raised an eyebrow.

"You are of my kin, Dragon born, Dragon slayer." Anesia poured them both tea.

"I am. am I?" Iliea voiced gently accepting the cup.

"I doubt I am mistaken, although small, there is a fire within you," Anesia spoke.

"I see."

"You came here to ask questions, yes? What might they be?" Anesia looked at her face, "are they pertaining to your ancestry or perhaps about our kind?"

"You seem much gentler than I expected. Lady…"

"Anesia, I am Anesia daughter of Aeron, The Lady of Al Zarar, Queen of Neraya, and the present Head of the white clan."

"Lady Anesia." Iliea's mind was racing. The report she had received stated the head of each clan held powers of legendary renown. "Why did you invade our castle without provocations, was it just to rescue the prisoner?"

"Child. That was one of my intentions, but what if I were to tell you it was to avert a war, rather delay I suppose."

"I don't understand! and with due respect, I am not a child, I may as well be of the same age as you"

"Aha, you have no idea how dragons age, do you? I am older than I look Iliea, much older," Anesia chuckled, "Although young by Dragon standards but by yours the comparison is rather different.

"I see, my apologies, your beauty deceives the eye. You mentioned to avert a war?" Iliea continued, still tense although beginning to relax just a bit.

"I had wanted to avert, yes, but it seems I only managed to delay." Anesia smiled gently.

"Please explain"

"Iliea, your white wolf, as you call it, had been amassing armies, they intended to wage war on the empire and use the element of surprise, to take a rather heavy advantage," Anesia had a thin smile as she sipped looking into the fire.

It was true that there was a secret order to really forces that was to be issued in the coming month, Iliea was not aware as to the intention behind the order, but her sources had kept her aware. The important part was how Anesia knew, and she had spoken as if it was already happening but as far as Iliea knew it was to commence in the coming month.

"It's true, that there is such a discourse going on among the masters, but nothing has been done yet, you speak of it as if it is happening now, but by my reports it would take at least a month for the orders to be forwarded and all."

"A month. hmm not that far off this time, I suppose," Anesia commented.

"How did you know?" Iliea asked interested.

"I have the gift of divinations, little one. I see the future" she paused rethinking her words, "well possible futures seeing as there is no concrete nature to it." Anesia finished.

"Is that how you found me? More importantly what would your invading our castle achieve?"

"Indeed, and well what we have done is an act of war against the white wolves, but for now our status remains independent of the empire. As such it is us who would suffer the retaliation, but as things stand, my kingdom is being taken into the suzerainty of the empire, they would in variably be forced to gather a force to face of any impending white wolf attacks. As such th-"

"The element of surprise that would have granted the advantage to the white wolves is lost, and a new strategy would have to be formulated"

"Yes"

"But you gave an excuse for war to the wolves yourself."

"I saw in all the futures I could see only war. Alas I am unable to see in totality but what I am shown is more likely to happen, these actions of mine have opened up new doors. If it were to me, I would say now there is a slight chance for peace." Anesia nodded to herself.

"And why didn't you just warn the empire yourself?"

"Because first I had to recuse the one you held prisoner, second my family has recently been assassinated. My enemies are many, and the empire is not safe for me to be in, while I hold the crown and my position as head of the clan."

"I read; you command great power while being the head of the clan. Are you the only one left in your clan then?" Iliea sipped her cup.

"Hah, yes, power, being the head of a clan has its perks. And no, I am not the last of the whites, although I am one of the few remaining in Neraya."

"I am sorry, but I don't get it."

"Each clan has its own means of choosing a head, a consensus has to be reached though, the white dragons many years ago chose a method of hierarchy, the then strongest family among the clan took the position, and the eldest of the said family would inherit it after the passing of the previous head of the clan. This was agreed to solve a lot of the strife that comes with the position."

"So... The head of the white clan is based on Lineage?"

"Yes. Although we still held great power, my father the last head of the clan was unrivaled, in any case, our family left the empire and found home atop Neraya, founding our own kingdom, The numerous others from the family uninvolved, we never used the rights of the clan head and as such no one had any issues, until recently I suppose."

"What do you mean?"

"I believe someone from within the empire means to usurp our throne."

"So, if you are the last of your family and you happen to fall, what would happen to the position?"

"Hmmm, if that were the case, I suppose it would fall to the one who has the most followers within the clan."

"And if a consensus is not met, how long would the position be vacant?"

"Till there is only one of the white dragons left, I suppose."

"This means that someone is trying to get rid of you to cause an uproar among the whites."

"I don't suppose so, I believe the empire would like to control my clan. They have dragons from us serving the king, and it would be easy to appoint them as the next clan head after our passing I suppose."

"So that is why you were reluctant to go to the empire, they want to take control of your clan?"

"Or they might desire to awaken the ancient ones of our kin."

"The ancient ones?"

"There are white dragon of times ancient, from the time of the great rebellion or before, as you would call it the brother's war. Who slumber undisturbed, to awaken them, the head of the clan must use their authority."

"Why do you not awaken them then?"

"They could easily kill us all."

"What if you asked them not to?"

"Ah... I wonder if it is as simple as that."

"So, then there is a faction that might want to raise the old dragons?"

"There is indeed a possibility."

Iliea finished the tea and looked at the fire herself.

"If I am a dragon born, would I be subservient to the clan head to which I belong to?"

"No, I don't think you would be, the authority presides over dragons not, half breeds."

Iliea felt offended over being called a half breed but kept her calm.

"Although I presume you would find an inclination to obey, a strong craving or urge."

"According to the Dragon I killed, Kaiser as you called him, my father was a red dragon."

"Kaiser was not one to be killed by the likes of you, young one." There was a coldness in Anesia's eyes that sent chills down Iliea's spine.

"I saw his death, he chose to spend his life protecting you and the rest in his last moments, the fool."

Iliea raised an eyebrow.

"Surely you don't think you survived that blast on your own. Do you honestly think that that scale you are prancing around with as a trophy is with you because you stabbed my best friend in the heart?" Anesia had her temper raising, as Iliea was put back on her guard.

Anesia sighed sensing Iliea, "Relax, you are a guest."

Iliea nodded slowly.

"Kaiser chose to block out the blast that was approaching your way, of course he could have just saved himself easily, but he decided to save more than one life, he has always been like that." Anesia spoke.

"You only managed to stab him when he was vulnerable and was already drained. An achievement though it may be, I hardly consider it honorable."

Iliea knew that this dragon in front of her spoke the truth.

"Kaiser asked me to take care of you," Iliea spoke aloud.

"I doubt you came here all this way just to listen to the last wishes of an enemy."

"I did not, I seek my own answers, but if you allow me to accompany you, I would try to fulfil the wishes of your comrade."

"You want to protect me despite being the one to slay my protector?" Anesia laughed. "The irony."

"I only did what I was supposed to, you were the ones who attacked our castle, and you were the ones who had that assassin deal that explosion in the first place."

"We had nothing to do with the assassin that was that double pure Kai and his story."

"Well, he is dead along with the assassin and my companions."

"Kai is dead?"

"Yes, he was caught in the center of the explosion."

"Odd, I still see, several futures with him in them."

There was silence.

"It could be that Kai is still alive and that would mean so are your friends, or just him or that he would somehow be brought back from the dead." Anesia pondered as her sight fixated on the heavens.

"I see," She calmly spoke in a soft voice, "you may join me Iliea, your future and mine could both benefit from being with each other."

"If you can see so much into the future, why couldn't you prevent any of this from happening in the first place?"

"I only see what is shown. I do not see everything, or every possibility. My divination should not be trusted unless I know full well that it is inevitable."

"I see."

"Qasir," Anesia called out, as a man with a strong built stepped towards the Queen,

"Qasir is the one who inherited Kaiser's position, he is the head of my guard now."

"Right."

"Qasir, this is Iliea, she will be traveling with us from now on, please have arrangements made."

"As you wish, my Queen."

Anesia motioned for Iliea to follow the guard commander as she herself looked ahead into the raging storm that blocked their path.

...