Restoration - Dragons of Dragonvale Book Two (on hiatus for a little bit)

Chapter Six

Eryx paced the length of his quarters, located in the far back corner of his father's castle. His father wasted no opportunity in making sure Eryx knew how beneath him he truly was.

Eyeing the jar on his table, he picked it up and eyed the seal surrounding the top. He held it but for a moment before he squashed down his raging curiosity.

It had been about six months since his father, Zoilos, had given him a mission. A mission he had not been allowed to execute as of yet. Despite having men to cover the two ships his father demanded, he was still not allowed to set sail.

Zoilos continually told Eryx he would be setting out on his mission soon and to stop nagging before he had Kydrur disembowel him in front of the court. Eryx always left angry and confused.

Not that those two feelings were foreign to Eryx. He had long dealt with his father's monumental mood swings. One day Zoilos would weep while hugging Eryx's neck, sobbing about how Eryx's mother had died too young. The next day, Zoilos would be cursing the fact she ever lived and gave birth to such a weakling as Eryx.

Therefore, Eryx never did quite understand or know where he stood with his father, the king, from day to day. The doubting minds of his officers were a side effect of this treatment.

They all felt they were better qualified for the position Eryx held as general of all branches of King Zoilos' military. Even Zoilos' old officer, General Ecklar had questioned Eryx's judgment and qualifications. Zoilos did not bother to even show his longtime General any mercy, having Kydrur drop the old man off a cliff as punishment for questioning his appointments.

The rest of the officers held their tongues, but their eyes said what their mouths could not, and it was those looks and stares that drove Eryx practically mad. They knew he was merely his father's puppet General. He made no decisions of his own because he was not allowed.

If he had his way, his men would have sailed out the day he was given the orders. As it stood, the longer they waited the more they risked the mission being exposed.

Eryx started back at the jar on his table and sighed with his hands on his hips. As if he knew what his mission really was. All he knew was that he had two ships, weak men on the first, strong men on the second, and this little jar, and somehow all of that was going to wipe out a multitude of his father's mistakes.

Just what was this mistake that filled Zoilos with such rage and regret? Eryx slowly ran one of his fingers over the lid of the jar and frowned. Hopefully, Zoilos' mistake would not cost him his own life.

* * *

Six months had passed since the dragons returned to Cragmount. Six months that felt longer than her entire life.

Jaessa stood at her window, looking in the direction of Cragmount and wondering if the dragons missed her as much as she did them. Her days had become drab and dull, void of any fun or happiness. Azir, the poor soul, tried to lift the spirits of his Princess, but to no avail.

Jaessa was a child but walked as if she was an old woman with the weight and sorrow of the world pressing down upon her shoulders.

"Jaessa, I demand that you stop moping and resign yourself to the fact they are gone and not coming back. We have discussed this at length many times and I am very weary of seeing your depressing self haunting the halls of this castle." Queen Celessa's voice was shrill and cold. She, too, was feeling the effects of the dragons' absence.

Particularly the presence of a battle mastermind like Kotai. She had put into practice all of his advices to the best of her ability. However, she still felt her troops were greatly lacking, though in what she wasn't sure.