AoH Karma and Convexity 23 pt1

"There you are, my dear." Thundra sighed as she used her sharp talons to cut away the cast from Crona's broken leg. "The bones should have healed enough to set themselves straight by now, but I want you to rest as much as possible until it's fully healed."
"How long until that happens?" Crona asked as she rotated her foreleg, flexing her talons.
"Give or take a week, possibly more. It really all depends on you," Thundra answered, giving the dragoness a warm nuzzle.
"I'll keep that in mind." Crona smiled with a bow. "Thank you."
Thundra only shook her head. "Don't thank me. Thank Certo. If it weren't for him you wouldn't be with us right now."
Crona looked down at the floor. It had been days since Certo had rescued her from Neros. Yet the black dragon had refused to say anything to her since. He had avoided her whenever possible, had slept outside away from her and ignored every word she spoke to him. He would not even so much as look at her.
"Is something wrong, Crona?" Thundra asked, looking sidelong at the young dragoness. "You look like you have something on your mind."
"No," Crona replied after a moment. "Not really. Just..." Her thoughts drifted back to the fight between Certo and Neros. The two had been so savage towards one another, she could hardly believe they had been bonded brothers at one point. And the way Certo had looked at her after Neros had escaped had filled her with fear, sorrow, guilt, and anger all at once. "Thundra..."
"What is it dearie?"
Crona looked up at her. Her eyes were wet with tears. She wanted to cry but it was not something she could show to the lightning dragoness; she would have to hold them back for now. "I think I've made a mistake. And not just a little one that can be fixed overnight or a couple days. I'm talking about one that may have destroyed a friendship."
"You mean you and Certo?" Thundra asked and looked inquisitively at Crona. The young dragoness nodded. "Would you be willing to talk about what happened?"
Crona sighed and took in a deep breath. She spent the next hour explaining what had happened between her and the black dragon. She had meant well by trying to prove something to Certo but in the process had betrayed his trust and possibly broken the already delicate bonds of their friendship for good. When she was done, Thundra shook her head in disapproval.
"Crona, I don't know if you realize how dangerous it was for you to go out on your own, looking for this brother of Certo's. If you had been more injured or worse, killed, do you know how bad that would have made Certo feel? And the rest of us for that matter? Certo went through a lot to save your life, and what you did was practically throwing it away just to prove a point. So I can understand why Certo was mad to begin with."
"I know! But what can I do to fix this?" Crona's voice cracked slightly but she faced the lightning dragoness none the less.
Thundra sighed sadly. "I'm not sure my dear. Certo's a sensitive soul. He has no family except for this brother you say is trying to kill him. The only ones he has are us. His friends."
"And even we aren't really considered remotely precious to him." Crona pointed out.
"I would be inclined to agree." Terra said as she and Amp ducked under the curtain  to the guest room. She and Amp had been listening in for  only a little while after just having gotten back from the council chambers. The ice dragoness looked at Crona. "You remember the argument we had just before he destroyed the school remember? He doesn't want to be around any of us."
"Terra, you stop that talk this instant!" Thundra hissed, lightning crackling between her jaws. Her daughter jerked back in surprise and huddled close to Amp. Thundra glanced between her daughter and Crona with a look of scorn on her face. "Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves for saying such things. Now I don't know what Certo's mindset is like to the fullest extent I can, but I do know that if he didn't care about any of you in the first place, he would have left our home a long time ago," she narrowed her eyes at Terra and Amp, should they try and come back with a rebuttal. "And I know for a fact he would not have gone through such pains to save your life, Crona."
"Then why doesn't he show it?" Terra demanded.
"Because he's afraid," Crona replied, thinking back to when she had chased after Certo. "He's afraid to care for anyone because he has this stupid notion that anyone he cares for is going to die."
"Stupid or not," Thundra hissed. "If you're really his friends. If you truly care for him yourselves, then you need to fix this problem on your own."
"But how?" Crona protested. "He won't even speak to me!"
Thundra got up and walked towards the curtain. "Crona, I know we've only known each other for a few months and we've never really had much time to connect. But what I have learned about you is, that like Certo, you have had a rough childhood as well. I don't know the details. But I can see it in your eyes and the way you view the world around you. If anyone knows Certo around here, it's you. Therefore, I think you know what you have to do."
Crona watched as Thundra disappeared behind the curtain, and listened as her footsteps faded down the hall.
"So what do you plan to do?" Amp asked curiously, taking a seat between the two girls.
"I don't know." Crona shook her head. "I can't even get Certo to look at me. I'm afraid that he'll run away again if I push too hard when trying to talk to him."
"Then let one of us talk to him," Terra suggested. "He's not mad at us. He can't just ignore us for no reason."
"Actually, yes he can." Amp interrupted. "In case you've forgotten, it's Certo we're talking about here. He can ignore a thunder storm if he wanted to."
"That's exactly my point." Crona stamped the floor with her good paw. "He's so damned stubborn! He won't listen to reason!"
"You can be the same way too Crona." Amp pointed out.
"What?" Crona jerked her head back as if she had been hit. "I am not!"
Amp only rolled his eyes. "You two wait here. I'm going to go see if I can find him and talk to him."
"Amp, maybe we should go with you," Terra suggested. "I think that if Certo is not willing to listen to Crona, he may listen to the two of us together. And maybe, if we get through to him, Crona can be close by to step in when the time is right."
"I don't think that will help very much," Amp replied hesitantly. "I think I should be the one to talk to Certo, one on one."
"But Amp..."
"Terra!" Amp barked, causing his mate to jump. "Please. Just let me talk to him. Alone." Terra was dumbstruck. Amp had never talked to her in such a way, let alone raise his voice towards her. Amp could see she was very unsure of how to take it so he turned and left the two girls by themselves.
As the young guardian took off from the balcony, Terra shook her head in disbelief.
"Don't get upset," Crona said quietly, noticing her reaction. "He's growing up you know. I think it's actually good for you two."
Terra stared at Crona for a long moment. The white dragoness seemed to be almost glowing in the midday sun that seeped into the guest room.
"Maybe we're all doing a little growing up," Terra muttered.
A faint smile tugged at Crona's cheeks. "Yes, I suppose we are."


Amp flew over the city at a quickened pace. His first stop was Master Kia's home where he figured Certo may be taking shelter at.
"I'm sorry Amp, but he hasn't been around since this morning." Kia shook her head.
"Any idea where he might have gone?" Amp asked.
Kia could only shrug. "I'm sorry Ampus. I haven't got a clue. You know how Certo is sometimes. For a little while I was thinking he had changed, seeing that he was talking regularly with Crona. But as of the last few days, they haven't talked to one another."
"So I've been told." Amp bobbed his head. "We're trying to resolve the issue but you know, it's hard when the one you're trying to find isn't around."
Kia gave a moderate chuckle. "I wish I could be more help."
"Don't worry," Amp waved a dismissive paw. "We'll figure this out somehow."
"Good luck." Kia bowed slightly, giving the lightning dragon his leave. As she watched him fly away she added, "You're going to need it."
As Amp continued to fly over the city he began to ponder about all the possible places Certo could be at. The academy grounds were alive with earth dragons moving the last of the rubble. The gardens were empty as well. The lightning guardian expanded his search to the areas of forest beyond the city where he thought Certo may be hiding out. As he reached the Silver River, he began to fly low towards the trees glancing around quickly, searching for his friend. After several hours of searching, Amp was astonished to not find the black dragon in any of the areas he had originally expected. The lightning guardian sighed as he came to rest on the banks of the river for a drink.
"My ancestors," he gasped as he drank greedily. "How hard can it be to find one dragon?" There had not been so much as a trace of the black dragon anywhere. Amp began to think that the black dragon was far more upset with Crona than originally expected. "He must really not want to be found," He muttered to himself.
The young dragon looked up at the sky as the sun began to set in the distance. He wished Terra were there to enjoy the sight with him.
Just then he heard a rustling in the bushes to his right. The young dragon jumped and turned with his wings spread wide. All of a sudden, Certo's head popped up out of the underbrush.
"Certo?" Amp's brows jumped as the black dragon looked around.
"Amp, get over here!" He hissed, thrusting his head back over his shoulder.
"What? Why? What's going..."
"Now!" Certo growled fiercely, striking a note of fear in Amp's heart. The younger dragon slunk over to the black dragon; a serious look embedded in his eyes.
"Certo, what's going on?" Amp asked meekly.
Certo hissed for him to be quiet. "Stay quiet, stay low and stay close." He ordered. He crouched down to the ground and began stalking through the underbrush, keeping his wings tucked close to his body. Amp followed his example and did what he was told, despite his disturbed state.
The two dragons crept through the underbrush for a couple hundred yards. Amp began to grow impatient. Certo seemed to sense the young dragon's anxiety and glared back over his shoulder.
"Not a word," he whispered.
Amp bobbed his head slightly and Certo continued to lead him deeper into the forest. It was not much longer when Certo came to a stop. Amp paused and looked around. There was nothing special about this place that he could outright see. He was about to stand up when Certo's tail wrapped around his neck and yanked him back to the ground. Amp was about to snap at the black dragon when he looked past him into the fields beyond the bushes. The young dragon's jaw dropped.
Beyond the cover of their hiding spot was a camp, filled with dozens, possibly even over a hundred apes; all hooting and snapping at one another if one did something another did not like. Most of the barbarians sat beside their animal-pelt tents and chipped away at bones with rocks, chiseling them into sharp, jagged blades. Other apes were busy around some of the camp fires, using pelts from dead animals to form straps for their armor, which consisted of bones weaved together, skulls and even wood carved from nearby fallen trees.
Amp felt his heart rate quicken as a patrol walked past their hiding spot. The two baboons paused a few inches from where the two dragons were hiding and sniffed the air. Certo's tail blade lifted off the ground, ready to strike in case they were found out.
"It stinks like dragon," one growled.
"I agree," the other muttered. "It's probably because we're so close to the city. The scent of those beasts really carries far."
The first ape growled. "I just can't wait to find my first kill. That will be one less dragon left to stink up this world." His comrade laughed.
"I'd be willing to wager I kill one before you." The other ape glared at him.
"Hatchlings don't count."
"I wasn't referring to you," he sneered. The two apes laughed and continued on their patrol, leaving Amp to shake like a leaf in the wind. It was then he noticed the wind blowing in the trees overhead but he could not feel the breeze against his body.
"Certo," Amp whispered, moving closer to his friend. "The wind. I can't feel it."
"Good," Certo murmured. "I'm trying to hide us. Neros can sense movement in the wind. I'm trying to keep us hidden from him so he doesn't find we're here."
"Oh," Amp bobbed his head slightly and fell silent again. Certo began to creep backwards, ushering Amp to lead the retreat. The young dragon did not argue and slipped through the underbrush with Certo following close behind.
When they began to hear the rush of the river, Amp quickened his pace. As soon as they got to the beach, Amp nearly passed out on the bank.
"What was all that Certo?" The young guardian was still trembling.
"Looks like Neros has his little baboon buddies getting ready for an attack." He was looking back over his shoulder but soon turned to face the yellow dragon. "And from the looks of it, it may be soon."
"W-what do we do?" Amp asked, sitting up, trying to stand as confidently as possible.
"What do you mean?" Certo snapped. "You have to tell the other guardians."
"M-me? Why... Why me?" Amp stammered. His heart was pounding against his chest.
"Think about it!" Certo snapped. "Would any of the other guardians listen to me? All the guardians hate me with the exception of you and Master Kia! And that fool of a fire guardian seems to carry the most weight with his words with you bunch, and none of you are willing to step in and put him in his place!"
"What do you want us to do?" Amp protested. "He's the elder guardian! We can't say anything to him! It'd be disrespectful!"
"Do you think Crona thought about that at all when she was trying to defend me in there?" Certo whirled on the young dragon, bringing his snout up to Amp's. "She threw your guardian's crap right back in their faces because she..." Certo's voice trailed off as his thoughts reflected to the white dragoness. She had stood up for him after the destruction of the dragon academy and the initial attack on the city. And it had all been before she knew the truth about him.
"Because she what?" Amp demanded. He saw what was running through the black dragon's mind. This was his chance to help push things in the right direction for his two quarreling friends.
"Nothing. It's not important." Certo shook his head.
"Isn't it?" Amp snapped back, stepping up to his friend to look him in the eye. "Crona's really hurting right now because of how you're treating her!"
"Well maybe she should have thought of that before she went behind my back and betrayed my trust!"
"She didn't betray you! She was captured! How is that betraying you!"
Certo paused. She had not told them the real side of the story, obviously. Only he knew about the true extent of her powers, but even then he did not know what her abilities were to their entirety. "Never mind," Certo growled, turning back towards the river. "We'd better move out. It's getting dark."
"Dark," Amp whispered to himself. The word seemed to jog an idea into his mind. "That's it!" He exclaimed. "The night watch! We can tell them! They would listen!"
Certo thought about that for a moment before a slight smile tugged at his cheek. "You know, Amp. I like your thinking."
"Awww shucks," Amp chuckled, pretending to be embarrassed.
"But we have to hurry. So let's move!"
"Right behind you!" Amp nodded and followed as Certo took flight. The two beat their wings hard, gaining as much ground as they possibly could. The night was fully upon them by the time they reached the city. The night torches were lit and the two could see the shadows of the night watch as they began their patrol.
"Amp, you go get Master Kia and have her meet me at the library," Certo ordered. "I'm going to go look for Cytros and get him to meet us there."
"Understood!" Amp saluted with a paw before banking hard towards the residential pavilions.
Certo dove towards the streets, searching for the nearest guard patrol. At last he spotted a trio of armored males pacing about the streets, all looking rather weary. The sound of flapping wings turned their attention skyward as Certo dropped from the night sky before them. The guards all jumped in surprise and nearly ran into one another.
"Oh, Certo. It's you." An ice dragon named Glaze breathed a sigh of relief. "You gave us a fright there."
Certo was glad to see it was not a hostile welcome but he was not here for formalities. "If you think that gave you a fright then you're going to be terrorized beyond all measure when you find out what's about to happen."
The guards looked at the black dragon inquisitively. "What's going on?"

"Amp, I said to get Kia!" Certo fumed inside the library. The lightning dragon had returned with Master Kia, but not only that he had with him Nitrus, Crona and Terra. "I don't want them here!"
"Certo, calm down," Verona coaxed, standing beside the black dragon. "They're here for the same business as you are. To help protect this city."
Certo glared at Crona and Nitrus. The ice guardian returned the harsh stare, but Crona only looked at Certo with a sort of pleading look in her eyes.
"Certo, if this really is an emergency I suggest we get down to business." Cytros interrupted.
"Fine," Certo snorted, turning away from Crona. "There's going to be another attack on the city." The dragons all gasped and glanced at one another, skeptical and frightened at the same time. They remembered the events of the first attack; the memory did not sit well with them.
Stratus stepped forward, lowering his head towards Certo. "Young dragon, are you absolutely certain about this? This is quite a big claim you bring."
"I saw it myself." Amp nodded and stepped forward. "Certo came across some sort of ape camp, just beyond the silver river. They're getting ready alright, and I don't know how much time we have."
"How many did you count?" Crona asked, addressing Certo but the black dragon ignored her.
"I didn't get a clear look at exactly how many there were," He replied to Cytros. "I can say that there may be close to a hundred."
"A hundred?" Verona gasped, placing her hand on her chest. Her breathing was beginning to quicken as her lungs began to hyper ventilate. The idea of there being that many vicious enemies attacking at once was too much for her to handle. All at once, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the floor.
"Verona!" Cytros and Stratus cried, rushing to her side. The chief librarian looked up at the captain who was beginning to fan her with his wing.
"I've got her," Stratus assured him. The fire breather nodded and turned back to Certo.
"Captain," Kia spoke up, stepping forward. "About how many dragons do you have on patrol each night?"
"Approximately fifty ma'am." Cytros answered, glancing outside the main entrance. "Though I may have to increase the number of guards I take in."
"That may be a wise choice." Nitrus bobbed his head. "And how many patrol during the day?"
"Less than a dozen."
"That seems logical." Nitrus nodded, scratching his cheek with a claw.
"It seems logical but it's not," Crona said. Every head turned to look at her. "The apes may not be much in terms of strength and power. But what they lack in those areas they more than make up for in numbers and tenacity." She looked over at Certo who was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "If you look at Certo, you can see just by looking at him how merciless the apes can be." The dragons all eyed Certo's scarred body, making him rather uncomfortable. "I can easily take on a patrol myself. But when working together, a hundred apes could easily overrun a city of this size, especially since it seems like not many dragons around here know how to fight."
"We were all trained in the ancient ways Crona." Nitrus started but the dragon stepped in front of him.
"But that's exactly it! You all know only what you've learned inside your city! You know nothing about what it's like to live on the outside! You know nothing about what it means to survive, as in kill or be killed!"
"The young dragoness has a point," Stratus said, turning his attention away from his fainted granddaughter. "However, we cannot simply turn away from our upbringing just like that."
Nitrus nodded in agreement. "We will have to use what we learn and fight to he best of our ability."
"But you have to go against all your stuck-up thinking in order to do that," Crona pointed out, a slight growl in her voice. "You have to think nothing of your enemy in order to finish on top, otherwise you're surely going to get killed."
"Are you suggesting we fight like savages?" Cytros asked, raising a skeptical brow. He glanced at Certo with an apologetic smile. "No offense."
"I've heard worse," he muttered. "But Crona isn't suggesting fight like so-called savages. She's saying fight smart. Keep your enemy's goal in mind and use that to your advantage for his inevitable downfall." Certo glanced at Amp and Terra. "Remember the sparring match between me and Titanus. Remember how nuts he went and how I went out of my way to avoid his strikes by finding his weakness."
"Which was..." Amp squinted questioningly at his friend.
"His size. Too big, not enough mobility. I'm smaller and more flexible than he is. I exploited his weakness to gain an upper hand."
"So what's the apes' weakness?" Kia asked.
"Psychologically?" Crona stepped in, thankful that Certo had at least spoken in response to her argument. "Power is their greatest weakness. They are greedy by nature and want more all the time. As far as physical weakness... guess."
A long silence passed between the dragons.
"A hundred is quite a lot of enemies to face," Captain Cytros spoke first. "We need a more accurate account of how many they have. That way we can better prepare our forces."
"If it's scouting you need done, then I'm the one for the job," Certo said. "I know where they are and how to get close enough."
"I'm going with you." Crona stepped forward.
"Like hell you are." Certo growled. "You're staying right here."
"No way Certo, I'm not letting you put your life in danger without some back-up. If you get into trouble I'm going to be there to have your back."
"I don't need your help!" Certo snarled. "But the city does! You need to stay here with Captain Cytros and help him plan on how to defend the city. You're apparently the leading expert on dealing with apes,  so your decision is overruled."
"I hate to admit it," Terra mumbled. "But Certo does have a point."
"Terra!" Crona gasped, staring at her hard. The gray dragoness shrank back slightly, feeling somewhat guilty about speaking up.
"Terra's right." Nitrus agreed. "You are the leading expert here. And we're putting our fate in your hands." The ice guardian bowed his upper body causing Crona's jaw to drop. This was unlike Nitrus and the white dragoness felt at a loss for words. The guardian looked up at her with a fierce determination in his eyes. "Please. For my daughters sake."
"Dad..." Terra looked from her father to Crona who seemed still hesitant.
"She'll do it." Every head turned to see a figure step out of the shadows.
Now it was Crona's turn to have her mouth fall open. "Sin?"
"Master oracle!" Stratus and the other dragons immediately dropped in a deep bow except for Crona and Certo who stared at him blankly.  The white dragon smiled at Certo. He turned his white eyes to Crona who took the hint, and paused time.
"What's going on, Sin?" She asked wearily.
"Nothing you don't already know," the oracle replied. "The war will continue throughout the thousand years as planned. But right now you have a more pressing concern."
Crona shook her head and furrowed her brows. "What could be more important than fighting the apes right now and making sure dragon-kind survives the next thousand plus years?"
Sin turned his head and Crona followed his stare. Her eyes widened and she snapped her attention back to the oracle. "Certo?"
"Yes. I'm sure you've noticed that he displays... a certain fire within him. We need him to master that power so it may be passed along to a future fire guardian."
"A future fire guardian?" Crona thought aloud. "Ignitus?"
Sin shook his head. "No. His successor. He will learn it before he becomes guardian and will ultimately use it to help bring peace after the Dark Master's reign."
"But how am I supposed to know what this power is? Or how it works? Or how Certo should learn it?"
Sin only laughed. "Crona, you're a knowledge-seeker. Do what you do best. Watch. Observe. And take notes. Just like you always have done. But for now we have a slight situation that requires our attention."
"But what am I supposed to do about Certo?" Crona asked frantically. "This is the most he's talked to me in days!"
"I know, but that will pass. But for now I suggest you let him go do what he needs to."
"But..."
"Otherwise he'll never learn about the power he has inside him."
Crona sighed and looked sadly at Certo. The way he stared sternly into space hurt her. It was like there was no end to the mystery that surrounded him, no matter how hard she tried to understand.
With a wave of her paw, time resumed its course. The other dragons rose to their feet and Certo blinked having seen Sin's head jerk suddenly, and stared at Crona. He felt his blood begin to boil again, knowing full well that she was up to something.
"Go on, Certo," Crona murmured, much to his surprise. "I trust you know what you're doing." The black dragon eyed her keenly, trying to read her expression to see if there was some sort of underlying motive in her decision. She looked like she was extremely tired and couldn't care less about what anyone thought of her.
"It will be risky going alone, Certo," Cytros warned. "I will have one of my guards escort you and provide assistance if needed.
Certo thought about it for a long moment. "I would prefer to work alone. If anyone else comes with me then they're likely to get hurt or worse."
"We understand, young dragon," Stratus replied, "But I'm sure we would all feel better about you going with someone rather than alone as you seem to prefer."
The black dragon shook his head. "Not this time. Please. I can't have anyone else hurt by being around me any more."
The librarian and captain sighed. Certo was being stubborn again; a trait they had admired at first but were now beginning to see its annoying traits.
"Well then you will have an escort at least," Cytros stated. "I can respect your wishes but if you were my son, I would not have you out and alone in the dark."
Certo grumbled to himself. "Alright..."
"Very good then." Stratus nodded. "Captain, have one of your guards escort Certo to the enemy's camp and scout out the situation. The rest of us will begin working on a plan to fortify our city in the face of this impending attack."
Crona watched sadly as Certo left the library escorted by an armored lightning dragon. When they had disappeared into the darkness outside and their wing beats had faded away, Sin walked over and gave her a comforting nudge. "All will be well as long as you keep your wits about you." Crona stared at the oracle for a long hard moment. Sin bobbed his head in response to her silent question. "Just be yourself and do as you always do. All will be well. You'll see."
"I hope so." Crona thought to herself before turning back to the group.

"So how far out beyond the Silver River is this camp?" The escort lightning dragon asked. His name was Radiance, a male barely Nitrus's age. He was proving to be quite the talker, always wanting to gain as much info from the situation as possible.
"It's not far," Certo replied dully. "As soon as we cross the river we'll run right into it."
"Ah, good." Radiance nodded.
"Not necessarily," Certo thought to himself. He could see the moonlight glistening off the surface of the river in the distance.
Down on the ground, Neros strolled about the apes' campground, inspecting his henchmens' equipment. The attack would be the following evening as soon as the sun set on the dragon city. When all the dragons would be settling down for the evening and their guard would be relaxed the most. From the reports he had heard from the apes who had survived the first strike a month ago, the dragons had been completely taken aback by the sudden attack. Neros had been surprised to hear such news, but was also delighted to think that his work would be that much easier with helpless adversaries.
"Master!" A hulking ape lumbered up to the albino dragon and bowed down on one knee. "We await your orders to move out. We are ready to do your bidding."
Neros only looked at the bone-armored barbarian and twitched his muzzle in deep thought.
"Gather the troops. I want to have a word with them."
"Uh, yes Master!" The ape jumped to his feet and hurried about gathering the troops and ushering them about the young dragon. The odorous apes mumbled and whispered to one another, not wanting to get too close to the black dragon, in fear of him losing his temper with them.
"Silence!" Neros barked, immediately getting what he asked for. "Good, I'm glad to see you're all listening. There's been a change in plans." The apes looked at one another curiously then back to the dragon. "As you know, there are well over one hundred of you here. However, only a small number of you will be taking part in the attack tomorrow night." This caused a murmur to spread throughout the apes. Neros waited patiently until they were quiet again before continuing. "The reason for this being is that we are not going on an extermination mission as originally planned."
"But are we not supposed to be ridding the world of dragons?" A smaller ape interrupted.
Neros' eyes locked on him and every head turned.
"Come here," Neros ordered. The ape realized what was about to happen and stepped forward, his body trembling in fear. Neros smirked when he saw the fear in the ape's eyes. He knew he had complete control over these savages. "Are you scared of me?" The ape stood trembling where he stood. "Answer me!" Neros snarled.
"Yes!" The ape squeaked and fell to his knees, unable to support his trembling form any longer.
The smile spread wider across Neros's face. "I'm glad to hear that. And because you understand that I'm going to be generous to you and let you live, with only a minor punishment."
"Master?"  The ape's mouth fell open giving Neros the chance he was waiting for. He lashed out with his claws and the ape screamed as a chunk of his tongue hit the dirt. The baboon fell back as several of his comrades moved to help him. Blood spilled from the baboon's mouth, staining his fur and dripping onto the ground.
"As I was saying," Neros continued after the ape had been taken away. "The plan remains the same overall. We will rid this world of all dragons, and soon you will be the new rulers." The apes nodded and smiled; they loved the sound of that and the thought of being rulers of the world made their mouths water for the blood of the dragons. "But something has come to my attention. Two things actually. One! My brother, whom some of you may remember from the caves, is still alive!" The apes eyes grew wide and they looked nervously at one another. "I wanted him dead along with every other remnant of my family and past! And that was too much for you to handle! You know why I say that? Because he's still alive!" Neros stomped the ground and bolts of convexity sparked around his paw. The apes cowered closer to one another, fearing which of them would face the dragon's next dish of capital punishment.
Neros continued with his speech and began pacing in front of the apes, making them more and more jittery with every deliberate step. "He has been living with those filthy dragons in that place they call a city this entire time!" He fumed but then stopped to think out loud. "Though I'm surprised he hasn't tried to kill himself yet. But this also bring me to my next point. He has a friend. A white dragoness. A powerful dragoness who controls time itself. A dragoness from the future who brings news of dragon-kind's last stand. She has survived the war we intend to bring about and the end of the world from what she has spoken. And with her help, we'll be able to fix that little snag in our grand scheme."
"M-Master?" An ape raised a shaky hand. Neros turned his ruby eyes on him .
"Permission to speak," he nodded.
The ape seamed to relax at that and sat up straight. "How can we be sure this dragoness has the powers she claims?"
Neros nodded. It was a good question and one he had expected to encounter. "I have seen her powers in action. As have some of your brothers and clan-mates. She has the power. The only thing we have to worry about is getting her to use that power for our purposes."
"And what purpose would you have her serve Master?" The ape asked.
"I intend to travel to her time and rid the world of dragons for good!" Neros growled savagely.
"And what about the rest of us?" Another heavy-bodied ape spoke after raising a hand.
"You will receive the power you deserve. I made that promise and I intend to keep it. Just have faith and patience. I must do the same if I want to achieve my own goal here."
The apes nodded and mumbled to one another in satisfaction. Neros smiled, seeing his pawns' newly-inspired spirits. He felt a rush inside of him as well as he thought about the white dragoness he had encountered.
"Just remember, I want her alive." He growled as a reminder. "If anyone fails to comply with this order, then there will be no measure to the wrath you will face."
"We understand." The lead ape nodded and his compatriots bobbed their heads in agreement.
"Good," Neros smiled. He breathed a sigh of relieve, sending a gust of wind about the camp. It was then he sensed something in the wind. It took him a moment to think about what it might be, but then he smiled wickedly. "All of you, into your tents or hide! We have dragons coming our way."
The apes barked and hooted excitedly as the ran about, bumping into one another and scrambling for cover. Neros watched as they disappeared from view before slipping into the darkness of the forest himself.
High above, Certo and Radiance could see the glow of the campfires across from the river.
"Looks like quite the gathering." The guard muttered, feeling a bit jittery as they neared the camp.
"We'll find out for sure when we get there." Certo thought to himself. "I'm going ground-side," he called. "Stay out of their sight if any of them are awake still. Or better yet, go back."
Radiance didn't have a moment to protest because the black dragon dove towards the riverbank. Certo came in for a quick landing before ducking into the underbrush. He paused for several minutes to look about and sense if there was anything watching him. When nothing moved he began to creep forward again. As he slipped through the underbrush, he began to notice the dead silence of the forest. The rush of the river faded out behind him leaving only the faint sound of a breeze against the tree leaves over his head. Up ahead, he could see the glow of the camp fires. The light cast irregular shadows and patches of light about the trees, making it harder for Certo to remain hidden. The closer he crept, the more uneasy he began to feel.
"Where is everyone?" He thought to himself as he hunched down in the bushes to look out at the campfires.
Neros watched from the cover of darkness as Radiance soared over the campground and began circling the barren field where the apes had set up camp. His ruby eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Only one?" He pondered to himself. "I could have sworn I sensed..." He lowered his eyes to the forest beyond the field. After a moment he understood what was going on. "So you're here as well, Certo?" A smile spread across his muzzle. "Well you'd better watch closely."
The albino walked out from his cover, surprising several of the apes close by. They wished to speak but by now, knew better than to do so.
"What have we here?" Radiance coked his head curiously as he spotted the pale-white dragon emerge from the forest. "He looks just like Certo."
From his hiding spot on the ground, Certo looked around the campground. The tents blocked his view of Neros but he could feel the wind begin to blow through the trees.
"You're here after all," he growled to himself. A rustling noise came from above and Certo turned his eyes to the branches overhead. Black eyes stared down at him, the firelight glinting off the apes eyes. "Uh oh," Certo thought to himself. He felt his muscles tense, expecting the ape to lunge for him. Much to his surprise the creature remained still. Before Certo would question the barbarian's actions, a hammer struck him in the side of the head. The black dragon fell to the ground and didn't move.
The sudden sound of Neros's roar grabbed the apes attention. The black dragon spread his wings and beat them once. The wind shot him into the air, heading straight for Radiance. The guard snarled and slashed at the young dragon. Neros vaulted over the lightning dragon's head and stabbed his tail into his back. Radiance felt the blade ping off his armor and turned with a haughty smile.
"Good try young one. But you won't be able to beat me like that while I have my armor to protect me."
Neros glared at the guard. "Oh, that's too bad. It would save you from the torment I'm going to have to bring down on you right now." Before Radiance could speak another word, Neros roared. The lightning dragon's armor clattered loudly as the vibrations coursed through his body. He jerked his head out of the way as Neros lunged for him, hoping to gouge his eyes out.
"Impressive, I have to say." Radiance sneered. "But not good enough." Lightning crackled around his body as he fired a bolt at the young dragon. Neros flapped his wings hard, looping out of the way as the bolt shot into the distance. Radiance growled and fired another bolt, missing his target again. Neros smiled as he dodged again and again until the lightning dragon began to grow tired. "Cursed feral! Sit still!"
Neros laughed out loud as he began circling Radiance. "Oh, what's the matter? Can't keep up with me?" The wind began to spin into a whirlwind, and Radiance found himself struggling to keep the wind beneath his wings. "You know what your problem is?"
"That I'm holding back from frying you!" Radiance fired another volley of lightning bolts to hit nothing but air. Neros's laugh seemed to be coming from every direction as the wind speed picked up.
"Besides your arrogance, it's your speed." Neros scoffed. "That armor slows you down so much that you'll never be able to hit any enemy, no matter how powerful you are."
"I'll show you power, you filthy little feral!" Radiance curled into a ball for a split second before spreading his wings wide. His roar cut through the night air and the lightning burst from his body. Neros yelped in surprise and covered himself with his wings. Just as a bolt was about to claim his life, it deflected off a barrier of convexity. Radiance whirled around on the young dragon and fired one last supercharged lightning bolt. The energy bounced off the barrier and struck the ground below. The lightning dragon's mouth fell open in dismay. "Impossible! How... how did you..."
Neros lowered his wings as his body continued to generate convexity. The purple energy covered the night sky and Radiance felt his scales rattle with a sudden chill. Neros's ruby eyes began to glow deep purple. With a sudden snarl he shot forward like a missile, striking Radiance across the face. The lightning dragon's armored helmet shattered, the metal shards cutting into his soft facial scales. The black dragon banked back and plunged his tail blade into the yellow dragon's armor. Neros's mercury tail blade plunged into the gold shoulder plate. Radiance snapped at the albino but Neros yanked his tail free before slashing his opponent across the face. Radiance felt his own blood splatter across his snout and snarled in irritation.
"Damn you!"
Neros only laughed as he slashed the guard's face and cut into his neck with his tail blade. Radiance jolted from the sudden strike and began to cough hard, blood filling his throat almost instantly.
All of a sudden he felt a crushing force drop out of the sky and hit him from behind. The guard fell and hit the ground hard. An agonized roar filled the air as Radiance lay writhing in pain on the hard ground. Neros glided down to the field below and landed gracefully in front of the wounded guard.
Radiance's face and jaws were covered in his own blood. His wings were broken and the bones stuck out from under his skin, causing rivers of blood to trickle down his torn wing membranes. His tail was broken in two places as well as three of his legs.
"I wonder if it's going to be this easy to kill all of you dragons who think you're so high and mighty," Neros pondered aloud. "You seem to hold yourselves in high regard yet here you are, down in the dirt with the rest of the filth."
"You filthy feral! How dare you mock me and my kind?"
Neros spread his wings and sucked in a deep breath. Radiance's eyes grew wide, seeing what was coming. Neros roared as a wave of convexity burst from the back of his throat. Radiance roared in pain as the energy coursed through his body. Neros gave a final push and concentrated his breath attack. Radiance's body suddenly became petrified and hardened like it was stone. When Neros halted his attack, the lightning dragon remained frozen in place before toppling to the ground; his gold armor clanking loudly and falling off his broken body.  
Neros smiled and licked his lips. "That is why you will always be inferior."
"Master."
Neros turned to see the apes emerging from their hiding places. One of them dragged with him Certo's limp body. "We found this one lurking about the campground. Can we kill him as well?"
Neros smiled, seeing the blood trickle down the side of Certo's head where he had been struck. "Not yet. I want him to suffer more. He has yet to feel real emotional pain. Have him bound tightly. I don't want him escaping. Understood?"
"Yes Master!" The apes nodded.
"As for the rest of you." Neros turned to the rest of the apes lurking about the campground. "Move out! We start our attack now!" An excited howl went up from the apes as they pumped their weapons in the air and beat their chests with their fists.

"Have there been any sightings yet?" Nitrus asked as he walked about the perimeter of the city. The dragon guard had established a watch shift system where the guards would go on lookout at timed intervals. All the while, the earth dragon guards established small blockades along the perimeter, making any organized invasion more of an improbability.
"No sir. None so far." The guard shook his head.
"Good." Nitrus nodded as he continued along. His thoughts drifted from the possibility of an attack to the black dragon who had come to warn them. "Maybe this whole thing was just a sham," He mumbled to himself. "It's been quiet for hours." He looked up as the beginnings of day began to break over the horizon, outlining the upper levels of the city in warm, sunlight.
"Nitrus!" The ice guardian turned his head to see Kia coming towards him. "Has there been any word from the guards? We're expecting an attack at any moment now."
"No, why do you ask? What's going on?" The blue dragon could detect the hint of fear in the air guardian's voice.
"Daybreak is here. And there hasn't been any word from Certo or Radiance since they left."
Nitrus's scales rattled nervously. "What?"
Kia shook her head. "Captain Cytros has been getting anxious. We may have to send in the other guards rather than holding them in reserve."
"That may be a good idea," Nitrus nodded. "Rally the other sentries. I'll spread the word to the current guard on patrol. Make sure our city and its inhabitants stay safe at all times."
"I understand." Kia bowed before taking to the air. She flew towards the upper levels of the city, but a disturbance in the wind caught her attention. The air dragoness turned and ducked as a spear whizzed over her head. "Son of a..." The dragoness cursed, but then another spear struck her in the shoulder, just below her wing deltoids. Kia screamed and faltered in the air. The sound of her cry alerted Nitrus that danger was already upon them. The ice guardian reared his head back and roared with all his might, his deep voice echoing across the city. The attack had come.