A False Reality ||The Dragon Prince||

Chapter 10

Rayla was anxious. She had done her best to tell Ezran and Callum about their journey to Xadia without overwhelming them. But Rayla feared that she had. After all, it was a lot to process. Ezran seemed to have believed her due to his connection with Zym. It seemed that even Claudia's spell couldn't make Ezran forget the Dragon Prince. That was another one of her worries, Callum hadn't recognized her. She had been hoping that somehow he would remember her. Rayla knew it sounded cheezy, but she had hoped his love for her would somehow be enough to overcome the enchantment. Rayla didn't blame Callum. It wasn't his fault that he had been caught in Claudia's spell. Rayla's thoughts were interrupted when her prison door swung open revealing Claudia holding a plate of food.

"So how's everything going in your perfect world?" Rayla said her voice heavy with sarcasm.

"As you said, it's going perfect," Claudia said as she set the plate of food on the floor.

"So you've finally decided to feed me?" Rayla said eyeing the plate of food.

"Well, I'll still want you alive when I exact my revenge," Claudia said as she walked towards the door.

"You're new to this whole threatening thing, aren't, yah," Rayla said with a scoff as Claudia turned back to face her. Rayla smiled as she watched Claudia's face flushed with embarrassment. She smiled at Claudia's discomfort. Rayla's hands may be chained up but she could still do some damage with her mouth.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings?" Rayla said emphasizing her point with a pout. It probably wasn't a good idea to provoke her captor but Rayla had to put up some resistance.

"You're right, I'm new to this all of this," Claudia said, "Unlike you, I'm not used to being a monster." With that Claudia exited the room and locked the door. Rayla sat in her little cell contemplating Claudia's words. She wasn't a monster, was she? Rayla didn't see herself as a monster. She had killed someone, but she was an assassin for crying out loud. Plus she had only killed him because she had no other options, but did that make it right?

"Shut up, Rayla. You are an assassin!" Rayla said sternly to herself.

"Wow, we're gone for a few hours and you've already started talking to yourself," Callum said as he appeared over her cell. Rayla smiled up at him, realizing that if she hadn't killed Viren Callum might not have been there. Zym definitely wouldn't be here if she hadn't stop him, so she would stop beating herself up about it.

"Hey, can you blame me?" Rayla said as Ezran came into her line of sight, "My only company is a comatose dragon."

"Is he going to be okay?" Ezran asked, looking down at Zym. Rayla didn't know what to say. She didn't want to worry Ezran, but she was afraid that maybe Claudia had done something to Zym.

"Honestly Ezran, I don't know," Rayla said defeated.

"Don't worry Rayla, we'll get you both out of there!" Ezran said with confidence.

"Wow, slow down Ez, we still don't know if we can trust her," Callum said giving Rayla a suspicious look. This was not going to be easy but at least Callum was willing to try to trust her. And she could work with that.

"Did you bring something for me to write on?" Rayla asked. Callum nodded and using some rope lowered a sketchbook and pencil into her cell. Rayla picked up the book and flipped to an empty page. She then proceeded to draw the familiar curls and twists of the ruin that would cast the spell aspiro. Once she finished she signaled for Callum to pull up the sketchbook. Ezran and Callum opened the sketchbook and gave Rayla confused looks.

"You have to draw that ruin in the air Callum," Rayla said demonstrating as she traced the pattern in the air, "Then you need to say the trigger word, Aspiro, and blow." 

"Um.. let's say I can actually do this, then what will this spell do?" Callum asked sounding a little hesitant.

"It'll create a gust of wind," Rayla said trying her best to stay calm. She had no idea if the spell would work. Maybe Claudia had made it so Callum couldn't do primal magic. Rayla needed for Callum to believe her, to trust her.

"I don't know Rayla," Callum said, "this seems a little far fetched."

Rayla looked into Callums eyes, "Trust me, Callum, please."