The Dracomancer

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE: FINAL LESSONS

    The following day, Lana went to the practice area with Lightbringer to meet Serena, who would teach her how to use the legendary enchanted staff. Serena explained that in order to use Lightbringer as a ranged weapon, one needed to clear one’s mind and jab the air in the direction of one’s target with the staff. Serena brought out a practice dummy while Lana cleared her mind so that she would be ready when the practice dummy arrived. Serena returned and set up the practice dummy, then Lana jabbed the air in the direction of the dummy three times and found that it worked. So far, so good.
    After a break for lunch, Lana returned to the practice area, thinking that her next lesson in demon magic would be there. When Serena didn’t arrive for twenty minutes, she asked Alex, who was practicing the chaos bolt spell, where she was supposed to go for this lesson. He told her to go to the study in the library, so she did. When Lana got to the study, Serena began the lesson. She taught Lana the warding spell and its counter spell that Alex had used on his sword before her first and last lesson in seeing magical energies and she used both on Lightbringer. Serena then told her to put the ward back on Lightbringer and not remove it and to tell Alex to do the same to Shadowsbane. She put the ward back on Lightbringer then went to find Alex.
    When Lana found Alex, he was still practicing the chaos bolt spell, so she decided to wait until he took a break. When Alex took a break for a drink of water, Lana approached him and told him that Serena wanted him to use the warding spell on his legendary sword. He did and then Lana told him that they would be flying to the sorcerers’ academy the following day so she could fulfill her own destiny. He thanked her then went to find Felicia and Artemis, probably to tell them the news. Lana then went to find Jaden to tell him the news. When she told Jaden the news, he thanked her and started preparing for the journey. He must really want to get going. Lana could understand that. She felt increasingly like she was in a cage the longer she stayed here.
    After preparing for the journey, Jaden led Lana to yet another secret room. He explained that this was the only one he knew about that he hadn’t shown her yet. It was the largest room yet and featured several paintings of dead kings who weren’t of the dwarfish variety. There were paintings of Dragon Kings, Tree Elven Kings, High Elven Kings, and Human Kings. Jaden explained that these were the most famous kings in history. Lana then noticed a smaller painting of what seemed to be a female dragon and asked Jaden about her. He saw the painting and gasped in shock before telling her that it was Queen Alexstrasza when she was still only a princess.
    "Odd. I never noticed that one before. Perhaps I overlooked it," he stated.
    "How did you know that it was her as a princess when you probably weren’t even born when she was that young?" Lana asked.
    "I’ve seen a similar painting somewhere else. I can’t remember where it was, though. I was very young when I saw it. I had completely forgot about it until you pointed that one out," was Jaden’s answer.
    "Oh. I see," Lana replied.
    Jaden broke down from being reminded of Alexstrasza by the painting and Lana comforted him until he recovered. She knew that he had never missed her as much as some until recently and now that he was starting to miss her, he was going through this every time he was somehow reminded of her. She asked him if Alexstrasza had any children and was mildly surprised when he told her that she had never had any children of her own, but that she had raised Felicia until the age of thirteen, which was when she died. She asked him why Alexstrasza had raised Felicia when she wasn’t really her own and Jaden told her that Felicia’s birth mother had died giving birth to her and her father had died of a broken heart because of it. Lana realized that Alexstrasza had seen Felicia as a child in need and had taken on the responsibility of raising her out of kindness. From what Lana had learned of Alexstrasza so far she realized that Alexstrasza was the type of queen she would have followed without question. However, from what she was hearing, Alex was a better monarch than her. That made her appreciate her cousin more. She was starting to forgive him for killing himself. She would tell him that tomorrow before the journey.
    She went back to her room and shortly afterwards, someone knocked on the door. She told whomever it was to come in and was mildly surprised when Alex came in. He looked somewhat apologetic, but at the same time, he also looked like he had a message for her.
    "Okay. Two things. One, I’m sorry I gave you that scare yesterday. That was cruel and uncalled for," he started in a subdued tone.
    "It’s alright, Alex. Your intentions were good and after hearing first that you’re turning out to be a better leader than Alexstrasza was overall and then hearing that Alexstrasza took on the responsibility of raising Felicia after her parents died says a lot about her, but it says more about you, so I’ve already forgiven you for it," Lana said. His subdued tone told her that either Felicia had told him off for doing that, or his conscience was unsettled by it. Most likely the latter, because she knew him and he usually wouldn’t use a subdued tone unless his conscience was unsettled.
    "Thank you. The second thing I would like to say is that Serena has called a meeting for everyone to attend. This meeting is mandatory, of course, so I suggest that you come with me," he finished in the same subdued tone.
    "Lead the way," she said. His conscience was unsettled. She almost felt sorry for him. She knew what it was like to have an unsettled conscience and it was not enjoyable.
    Alex led Lana to Jaden’s room first, so they could inform him. When he decided to come with them, Alex then led them to the throne room. When they got there, they found everyone else already there. Serena, Nick, Felicia, and Artemis had obviously been waiting, which made Lana feel guilty. However, no one said anything about it. Serena proceeded with her announcement once Alex arrived with Jaden and Lana.
    "Now that everyone is here, I would like to make an announcement. Lana already knows this, and she may have already told some of you. I understand that she told Alexander, who then went on to tell Artemis and Felicia. However, I will say it mainly for Nick, because I have a feeling that Lana has already told Jaden as well. We will be flying to the sorcerers’ academy tomorrow so Lana can fulfill her destiny," Serena stated.
    "Where is the sorcerers’ academy?" Lana asked.
    "It is just a little ways South, between here and the shrine. You probably passed by it when you first arrived," Serena answered. "Anyhow, I’m sure we all need our rest, so sleep well, everyone. We’ll see each other in the morning," she said, concluding the meeting.