Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (year 7 reading list .TXT) 📖

“but my Dream Realm persona is the Fire-Archer.”
Amethyst looked to her Earthly Protector in wonder.
“You?” Countess Dracora raised an eyebrow to Cyrix, who nodded.
“I will teach him to use his fire-starter abilities with his archery against our foes.”
“Ah, foes.” Dracora nodded. “Well, Younglings, this is where you go your separate ways, and I get back to my duties as Countess here. Cyrix, may I have a word with you for a moment? It concerns your Clan.”
Cyrix raised his eyes. “Oh, certainly, Countess. As you wish.”
“She’s right, guys.” Young Guardian spoke up after a nod to Dracora. “We need to return to the Dream Realm, and get ourselves home to our families.”
“You know, in all the excitement, I totally forgot about them!” Airmed cried. “Oh, Young Guardian! Can you ever forgive me?”
“Don’t ask me for forgiveness, Airmed.” Young Guardian told her. “This battle is yours and the Unicorn’s now. You are his Earthly Protector as he’s your Bondmate. Whether he forgives you for doing what you thought best for him, is up to him.”
Airmed looked to the Unicorn. Instead of replying, the Unicorn wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her lips a long kiss.
“There. What does that tell you?” He asked, teasing her nose with a kiss.
Airmed smiled, giggling. “Let’s go home, Bondmate.”
Amethyst and the Fire-Archer clasped hands and smiled at each other. “Mind if we join you, brother?”
“Certainly, sister.” The Unicorn grinned, offering his hand for her to take. “By all means, join us.”
Amethyst took it and the circle was complete. The four of them went home, which left only Cyrix and Young Guardian.
“I would stay if I were you, Ariana.” Dracora supplied. “What I have to speak to Cyrix about has to do with you as well.”
“I thought as much, Shylee.” Young Guardian sighed. “Well, let us have it then. What do you know about his Clan?”
Cyrix waited expectantly, wondering what she had to say. He could sense Young Guardian knew something about Dracora even HE himself didn’t.
“Countess?” Cyrix’s voice wavered, watching both Young Guardian and Dracora stare at each other.
Dracora, he’d been raised to respect as an Elder Ancient of his land. The Countess had always been a monarch of the Dragon Nations. When Lord King Yorn’s Hunters attacked the Castle, it started a war. The war turned into an alliance, and eventually a marriage and the birth of a son, Horus and daughter Hera.
Young Guardian, on the other hand, he’d known her reputation in both the Dream Realm and the Dragon Nations long ago. He’d learned to respect and revere her as well, for all her trouble with Sabrina, she never gave up hope or magic.
By the serious looks on their faces, he could tell he had no idea what he was getting into this time. What did Dracora know about his Clan, and what did Young Guardian have to do with it?


Story #3:
Stalker in the Dark Area

Back in the Dream Realm’s Canine Valley, Sir Red Wolf and Sire Wolf watched in the sidelines as their three Pages, Celine, Nicola HeartLily and Ronan BrownPatches were leading three groups of Companion Warriors.
“I have been thinking, Wolf.” Red Wolf supplied, staring after Celine. She was teaching a new move to another feline warrior.
Wolf turned to his Knight-friend. “What is it, Red?”
“I believe that Spirit Quest we took helped open her mind to questions once thought unable to be asked.” Red Wolf supplied, studying his friend’s face for a reaction. “She still needs you, Wolf, but she needs me as well. As I need her now, to keep the two sides of me from ripping me apart. I need her to keep me hopeful, as I am no longer a Warrior or Grey Arean.”
“I was wrong about you, Red. I know that now.” Wolf admitted. “I thought you would hurt Celine, and I did not want to see that happen.”
“Neither do I.” Red Wolf smiled. “Like it or not, Wolf, I love her, too.”
Wolf turned to Celine’s group, staring at his daughter. He sighed.
“About you and I, Wolf Stargazer.” Red Wolf said. Once he got his friend’s attention, Red Wolf continued. “We have ever been friends, if not Wolf-kin. From Companions being taken from our families, we have stuck together. From Dominionites being led by the Master against Lord Guardian, we have stuck together.”
Wolf still stared, silent in thought. Red Wolf went on. “You remember when I almost lost my soul to the Hunger? What made you call me back to awareness?”
“I did not want you to hurt the Dreamer.” Wolf supplied.
Red Wolf shook his head. “That is not true, my friend.” He said. “You did not want to lose my friendship should I turn Stalker.”
“You knew nothing of your Dweller-kin self until Madam Celeste told you.” Wolf pointed out.
“That is also not true.” Red Wolf supplied. “If you remember, Dweller-kin have a telepathic bond to each other. Matéré and Pérat have always taught me the Apprentice-kin Dweller ways using it.”
“Those words.” Wolf said softly. “I wondered what Celine was calling us.”
“They are Ancient Wolf-speak for Mother and Father.” Red Wolf grinned. “I did teach them to her, but only after she heard my parents use them on me.”
Wolf nodded, smiling. “You love her, do you not?”
“That should have been apparent, my friend.” Red Wolf said. “As her Bondmate and your Heart-Brother, I promise you no harm will come to her while she is in my care.”
“On that, I know I can rely.” Wolf replied. “Even she knew something was on your mind when you sent the Fire-Starter with Cyrix to the Dragon Nations.”
Red Wolf laughed. “Ah, that. Aye, I did have something on my mind.”
“Did you want to tell me, or let it go?”
“For me to lead the Earthbound, I would have had to bring Celine with me.” Red Wolf supplied. “She would have asked questions I have no answers to. I do not wish that right now, and since we had work to do, I put Cyrix to the task.” He shrugged. “Besides, he needed the contact with the Countess.”
“Why do you say that?” Wolf asked.
“Do you not remember his true-form?” Red Wolf inquired. “Cyrix came to the Warriors as a dragonlet.”
Wolf had to think about that one. “A dragonlet, huh? But he is in demon form now. Why stay in that form for so long?”
Red Wolf raised his eyebrows. “I suppose you should ask Kat sometime. She knows him better than we do.”
“Why would he need contact with the Countess?” Wolf asked.
“To remember who he is, just as you made me remember who I am.” Red Wolf grinned, patting Wolf on the back. “Heart-Brother.”
Wolf laughed. “Come then, Heart-Brother. We still have work to do.”

II

“How could you have been so careless, Damian?” Gloriana, once Queen of the Unknown spat to the once-Merchant of the Dominion. She huffed. “Idiot.”
“Me so careless?” Damian cried back. Shenara was with him, silent, not wanting to get in the middle of it. While Gloriana was her mother, Damian was her lover. “You were the one who failed to do what I told her to! Could not even destroy Mistress Challandra and Lord Byron.”
“Bah!” Gloriana cried. “As it is, we are stuck here in the Dark Area, with Lord Bane and his crew of moron Dark Warriors.”
“That moron crew used to be my Warrior Army, if you remember correctly, Dominionite!” Damian cried.
“So, what do we do now?” Shenara asked. “Shall we go ahead with your plan, Damian?” Damian turned on her, face red with anger and eyes that glowed. She cringed. “My apologies, Merchant, but you must face it. You are both right. While mother says we are stuck here in the Dark Area with Lord Bane, you say the Dark Warriors were your own Army. Let us not fight over something neither of us have any control over.”
“So, what is your plan, Lord Merchant?” Gloriana asked with a wicked smile.
Damian pulled something from his pocket.
They both saw it for what it was.
“That’s!” Shenara started, staring at it.
“The Black-as-Night Crystal!” Gloriana reached for it, but Damian snatched it away. “How did you get it back?”
Damian grinned. “My secret, ladies, and part of my plan.” He supplied. “This will undo those silly Ancient Mystics by kicking them while they are down.”
“Yeah, right.” Gloriana ticked. “How many times have you promised the Ancient Mystic’s destruction only to be almost destroyed yourself? How many times have you been cheated by them and played the fool by them?”
“Gloriana!” Damian cried.
She smiled. “Aye, Merchant?”
“Shut up.” He grumbled, and looked to the Crystal once more. “I assure you, kick them when they are down and we will be prosperous.”
“Preposterous, more likely.” Shenara quipped. When he glared at her, she glared back. “Well, what are we going to do with it?”
“Listen closely, ladies.” Damian huddled them together and told them what was on his mind.

III

Young Guardian and Cyrix waited until Dracora was in her personal chambers before they said anything. Young Guardian couldn’t take the silence any longer than that.
“Countess, do you kindly want to explain yourself?” She demanded, hands folded in front of her and a scowl on her lips.
Even Cyrix was afraid of both women. Young Guardian for her look and magic, he’s seen for himself her temper and what she can do when persuaded. As for Dracora herself, he knew what she was capable of. He’d seen it early on in life, before he was sent to the Dream Realm.
“What is the meaning of this?” Young Guardian asked. “What do you know about Cyrix’s Clan, and how does it have anything to do with me?”
Dracora sat on her desk and gave them both a frozen stare. “You will listen and listen good.”
Both of them stood. Young Guardian’s frown deepened and her eyebrows furled. Dracora stared at her with dark glowing red eyes. Both women probably forgot that he was even still there.
Dracora continued. “Now then, it would seem in the recent war, Crucis was destroyed, correct?”
“By Ramon and myself, of course.” Young Guardian said. “Go on.”
“Well, he left behind a very angry protégé named Balor.” Dracora said. “That protégé now wishes retribution for your crime against the Stalkers.”
“Crime against!” Young Guardian cried, laughing. “Oh, this is rich. The only thing Ramon and I did was destroy Crucis.”
“Who was the leader of the Stalkers.” Dracora continued. “And also like yourself, Cyrix.”
Cyrix was confused. “Countess?”
“He was a Dragon Clan Guardian as well, and is now permanently in human form.” Dracora supplied. Cyrix’s eyes widened. “He was cast out of the Clan for dealings with evil forces, just as Orthos