.Eyes Of Void.

-68-

It was a grimly silent road back to the dragon's land.

It was a beautiful place where the dragons lived and those of any race that were permitted to stay here to be the caretakers of the buildings and places, most dragons living in the cavernous part of their land but the castles and libraries around were looked after.

As the dragon landed we slid down off the dragon, I stood as Mystery turned away, took a few steps and fell to her knees, hands on the ground, hands flexed into fists as I saw her shoulders shaking.

I walked to my brother with tears in my eyes and he hugged me.

I looked over his shoulder.

Emersme... He sat on the dragon queen's back still, head slightly pulled back, staring at the sky with eyes not seeing it, lost somewhere in his mind.

Amalie was the one we heard crying, just sobbing uncontrollably in Leo's arms, anger burning in his eyes, fueled by the pain inside, both of them on the ground too.

Calypso was silently crying, hand over her mouth, crouched down near a railing and holding onto it.

"This is so unfair." I whispered, looking at mom who also looked greatly saddened by the loss, eyes far away for a moment and tears begging to escape but they never did, holding it in.

"I know Audrey." Eleric whispered.

I looked back at Mystery who was now sitting back on her ankle and staring at the mages too, tears streaming down her face... This was almost like if I lost my mother.

I looked at Mystery, my heart just breaks all over again for her, why can't fate play fair for once? Why must it toy with her? With us? Why?

I buried my face against Eleric.

"First we live and then we cry." I heard a whisper making me look up as Mystery stumbled to her feet, wiping her face as she stood with her back towards the other mages. "Stop your whining!!" I jumped at her harsh scream, eyes wide in surprise.

We waited for her to look back at us, even the mages were watching her but she never turned to face us.

"Stop whining and get up." I heard her chock on a sniffle. "This is not what she taught us!!" I leaned my head against Eleric. "If we don't stand now.... What she did for us will have been for nothing.... Aurelius taking over everything and killing all against him... Do you want her sacrifice to be in vain?!" Her voice dropped in volume before she screamed to make it louder, finally looking at the mages with still fresh tears on her face, arms thrown down by her side. "First we live and then we cry.... She said first we live and then we cry.... If we don't fight now we won't live.... So stop fucking whining and stand to fight.... For humanity.... For the innocent.... For our home.... For us.... For her."

I guess Belladonna also passed on her talent to do speeches onto me along with everything else she taught me.

"She's right." Calypso said, wiping her face with a sigh as she stood up and dusted her pants off, wiping the corners of her eyes. "We need to live today to be able to cry tomorrow and if we give up now there will be no tomorrow for many of the innocent in the path of that man."

"I'd follow you to the end of the world and you know it." Emersme added, sliding of the dragon finally.

"He needs to pay for what he has done" Amalia said through still heavy sniffles as Leo helped her stand, nodding to her words, nothing more to add.

"In that case don't cry but fight." She looked off at nothing, staring off at the horizon. "Isn't that was she taught to the very end? To fight and go down with a smile? Knowing you did all that you could?" She looked back at them. "Right now we are the last chance for everyone against Aurelius so we can't give up."

"As depressing as times these may be." My mother said, her voice not having a waver to it but I still saw some pain in her eyes, they were both close, Belladonna having been the only mage around when my mother was a child and she had no sibling so they were introduced early to each other... I still remember the story of the rebel little girl that turned into a powerful and respected woman my mother described her as... "But as long as her teachings and her memory live on deep in your hearts she'll never be gone forever, she'll always look after you and, even tho I am sure you all know without it needing to be said but, she did talk of all of you as her children....Mages!"

"Yes your Majesty!" They said at the same time, the difference compared the before easily heard, missing one very important one.

I put my hand over the Wither Away she had given me, still safe in my pocket.

"If you can't fight for me then fight for her memory, to regain her home, protect her people and defeat her enemies do I make myself clear?"

"Yes your Majesty!"

"You've all had a long day, the ground keepers will soon be here to show you to your rooms." The dragon queen said. "And do not let despair weigh your heart down children, one day you will see her again, maybe not in the near or far future but you will." And she walked away.

"Majesty!" I heard Mystery say as the some elves care takers had came to guide us all away, leading everyone in a different way to different rooms.

"Yes mage Myst-Arianwyn?" My mother said, turning to face her as everyone stopped walking to listen.

"Please Mystery is just fine, it is a name she gave me and that I wish to keep, my real name a secret to remain but now kept by many of us."

"As you wish mage Mystery, what did you want to say?"

"Before now I'd have not wanted this.... But she's gone.... And I don't want her dream for me to go unfulfilled.... Your Majesty I accept, I'll become the head mage so that the dream she always had for me becomes reality.... I'll be the head mage for her."

"Then so be it, she might not be here to witness this moment but I am sure she'll be very proud of you.... Head mage Mystery."

"I know." She whispered. "I know she is."

I watched my mother turn away with a single tear dropping from her eyes when she thought no one would see it.