The Dragon Prince: Between Tales

A Dream

"You know," Soren started to say as he held a pancake on his fork, "I'm always worried that the food here is actually bugs."

"It's not bugs," Rayla said as she cut her pancake into bite-size pieces with her knife and fork.

Soren looked at Callum for reassurance.

Callum nodded his head yes in agreement with Rayla, while chewing a mouthful of his breakfast.

Soren shrugged his shoulders and took a bite out of the round pancake. There was no talking, just the sounds of utensils clanging on their plates and chewing. Lujanne approached the three young heroes and placed a bag on the picnic table.

"Lunch?" Soren asked.

"For your travels," Lujanne said with a smile.

"How'd you know we were leaving today?" Callum asked.

"We're leaving today?" Soren asked Callum.

Callum and Rayla looked at each other briefly. Rayla spoke first, "We decided to find Viren."

"We find Viren, we free her family," Callum added.

Soren's demeanor changed, he didn't appear to particularly enjoy the new plan. Callum and Rayla looked at each other, again. Soren grabbed the bag off the table and stood up. He looked inside the bag and said, "Well, at least it's not bugs."

"That was one time," Callum groaned.

"It's not bugs," Rayla added.

There was a silence. They all looked over at Lujanne.

Lujanne looked back at them.

"It's not bugs," Lujanne assured them.

They all sighed in relief and chuckled.

"But your breakfast was," Lujanne added.

After they had gathered their things from the cottages, Callum, Rayla, and Soren met at the Moon Nexus. They stood next to each other, looking at the flat and very still water. Their reflections looked identical to them, like a mirror.

"Are you sure about this?" Soren asked Rayla.

She pondered on his question and finally answered, "I have my parents, I have Runaan," she paused again, "Now I just need Viren."

There was a silence among them. Each with their own thoughts about this new plan.

"So," Soren broke the silence, "What now? Back to Umber Tor? Katolis? Xadia?"

Callum and Soren looked at Rayla. She had been hunting Viren for years, could she have an idea of how to find him now?

Rayla looked at Callum, "What're you looking at me for? Aren't you the leader?" It was a joke, but there was a piece of truth in her remark.

"We should return to Katolis and regroup with Ez," Callum looked across the vast and abandoned lake, "Corvus can help us track Viren and Claudia."

"Are we walking back?" Rayla asked.

"No," Lujanne interjected.

The three friends turned around, Lujanne stood behind them with her arms behind her back, she looked very regal.

"No?" Soren repeated.

Lujanne approached Callum and from behind her back she presented a blue feather, she reached out and placed it in Callum's hand.

Callum looked down at the feather.

"Phoe-Phoe?" Callum asked.

The large Moon Phoenix appeared through the top of the trees, flying towards her companion and landing beside Lujanne.