Callum pushed past Soren towards his father's chamber. "You're not stopping me!"

But of course, Lord Viren stopped him as he walked out of the grand doors with a cold look of disapproval. "You should not be here."

Callum took a half step back from the intimidating mage blocking his way. Anger suddenly rumbled in his chest at the realization that this was all Viren's fault, a man he trusted and even looked up to for years.

"I know what you did." He growled, his fists clenching. "You stole the dragon egg. We found it, and we're keeping it safe."

"We?" Viren said.

"The king will have you in shackles when he finds out about this!"

Viren's expression glowered. "What makes you so sure the king doesn't already know?"

That made Callum pause. The king couldn't have known about this. His father couldn't have known about this.

Viren nodded at his son. "Grab him."

Soren hesitated. "But he's the prince—"

"—Do it!" Viren commanded.

Callum turned to run when the guards stepped forward, but he was too late. They jerked his arms behind his back and forced him to face Viren once again.

"Now, tell me. Where is the egg?" Viren said, his voice raising.

"I'll call out!" Callum's chin lifted a bit higher. "I'll scream!"

"Go ahead." Viren said and drew a small clawed foot from a satchel at his hip. He clenched it in his fist and his eyes began to glow purple as he whispered an incantation. Opening his palm again, a misty green claw rose and slid over and down Viren's shoulder towards Callum's face. Callum flinched back but was held firm in place by the guard, his lips parting in mild fear. The claw seized the opportunity and quickly entered Callum's mouth.

Callum couldn't move. He felt it. The dark magic burned hot inside of his throat for the briefest of moments. Its claws closed around something and then left, steeling Callum's last breath along with whatever small golden glowing thing it held in its clutches. His shoulders dropped as a feeling of dread replaced his previous anger. What was that?

He opened his mouth to ask but nothing but air and a rasping sound escaped from his lips. His eyes widened in fear of what Viren had just done. He couldn't have? Could he? He tried again. Nothing.

The corners of Viren's lips turned upward in an expression of satisfaction as the dark magic coiled back into his hand and the purple glow receded deep behind his blackening eyes.

No! You can't! Callum tried to protest. But nothing. His voice was gone. No. Stolen. Just like Viren had stolen the egg. Old habits die hard apparently. He needed to get to the king. To stop the war. To stop the fighting. To stop the hate. To stop the murder of the only parent he had left!

"You impudent, little, mongrel! You were spoiled and given everything!" Viren said, "and that has left you weak and helpless. Tonight, your world is changing. There is nothing you, or anyone can—!"

Viren was cut short by the sudden silence and the gust of cold night air that blew up the tower stairs behind Callum. He turned to look over his shoulder, noticing it was as if the entirety of life held its breath. No bustle of the castle grounds. No chirps of nighttime insects. No hoots of owls. Like their voices were severed from them as much as his was.

The cold gust then blew harder and vanquished every source of light in the tower. The guards abandoned their hold on Callum going for the hilts of their swords as they all turned to face the stairwell with a ready stance.

In those last few tense seconds, Callum felt Soren's hand take a firm hold onto his left shoulder. Whether it was to protect him or hold him in place, Callum wasn't sure anymore.

"They're here!" Soren said as Viren and the guards took a tedious step towards the oncoming danger.

The arrow flew in from the darkness and Callum realized he wouldn't be able to move in time. It was Soren's quick shove that pushed him out of harms way. He heard Soren's grunt and barely saw the arrow lodge itself right between the crevasse of shoulder plates. Callum was quickly relieved when Soren pulled the arrow roughly out and no blood coated the tip. That's gonna leave a nasty bruise.

Soren dropped the arrow and pulled his sword from its scabbard. "Defend the doors!"

The elves that entered were swift and the moon shrouded them in a darkness. Callum could barely see them has their blades swiped and slashed at the kingdom's finest guards. Realizing that he was in the middle of a chaotic battle, Callum crouched low on all fours and began crawling backwards away from the fighting. He would be no use to the kingdom dead and he was helpless without a weapon (not that he would be all that helpful with a weapon either).

It was then that he felt more than saw Viren drop his voice.

Huh, who knew you could physically drop a voice. Callum thought.

Still clutched tight in dark claws, his glowing voice was the only source of light in the room other than the dim glow of the moon and its elves. No one else gave the small dropped object any attention. The fighting took priority. He watched frozen. He shouldn't just jump into the danger, but Callum needed his voice to talk to the king! Just before he could jump into the fray, it was Soren who surprised him by kicking the magical claw towards him. Again, he didn't know Soren's intensions. Was that on purpose or just chance that he kicked it over?

He scooped up his voice and pulled at the claws. They only seemed to clutch tighter. He needed his voice. He pulled again. This time the claws squeezed and Callum's throat constricted dropping him to all fours again in a silent coughing fit. He needed it! For the king. Harrow. Dad!

He immediately regretted that he couldn't say it out loud. Ez was right, as usual. Definitely will have to do the jerk dance soon.

Getting to his feet once again, he gripped the claw in his hand and stood staring wide eyed at the doors and the fighting just before he heard the small sweet voice of Ezran coming from the window behind him. "Callum!"

Oh, Ez! The egg! Callum thought. He turned to the window and saw his little brother carrying the dragon egg and looking around with the elf girl and Bait. "Callum, where are you? Callum?"

Callum looked back at the fighting. They were here for Harrow and Ezran.

I need to protect him from this. He thought. And then made the hardest decision of his life.

He pocketed the dark magic that trapped his voice and ran for it. Down the stairwell. Away from his father and towards his little brother and the egg that could save the entire kingdom from more bloodshed.

He went as fast as his feet would carry him. Suddenly, he missed a step and tumbled down several feet. It was odd not hearing himself gasp or grunt with the effort and panic he was feeling. Pushing himself off his aching chest from the impact, he found himself face to face with a fallen guard. He knew he would recognize the face if he looked any closer. He quickly got to his feet and kept going. There was nothing he could do now. He told himself. By leaving to protect Ezran and the egg, he would be protecting others from the same fate.

Once he made it to the courtyard and to his brother, he stopped and bent over gasping silently for breath.

"Callum!" His brother said. "Did you talk with Dad?"

Callum should his head regretfully. The elf girl, Rayla, approached him. "Say the word and I'll go back in that tower with you." She was bold and her accented tone exuded confidence. But she didn't know yet how painful those words were. Callum winced and looked to his brother and the sparkling egg he was holding.

No. He shook his head. It's up to us now.

Callum knelt to Ezran's eye level and held his hands over his brother's. They were warm from holding the egg. He then leaned forward placing their foreheads together, wishing he could say the words. We have to return this egg. We have to keep it safe and carry it to Xadia. And I have to protect you.

Bait drew their attention at their feet as he cooed and turned a worrisome shade of blue. He nuzzled his nose comforting into Callum's shin.

"Callum?" Ezran stepped back. "Callum, are you okay?"

Callum looked into his brother's eyes, sighed, and shook his head. He hoped Ezran remembered some of the sign language their aunt taught them. He shook his head once then held up the number two with his fingers and brushed them over his throat upward. He then pulled out the black claw.

Rayla's gasp drew his attention. "That's dark magic, that is."

"Wait!" Ezran said. "I don't get it. What's wrong with my brother? What is that thing? Why did he say he has no voice?"

Callum looked at Rayla for help, relieved she understood to some degree. "Ezran, your brother won't be able to speak for a while. A binding spell has trapped his voice and that claw won't release it without a counter spell."

Ezran smiled optimistically then, "Well, you can fix it! You're an elf! You know magic, right?"

"No, Ezran. Elves won't study dark magic so I don't know how to fix this."

Ezran looked back to Callum. "Claudia can then! She knows magic!"

Callum shook his head again and pointed to the egg. Claudia will give the egg to her father. We need to get it to Xadia, Ez. Please, understand. We need to leave. Dad could be—. He stopped his train of thought.

Rayla put her hand on Ezran's shoulder. "I think he's saying the egg is more important than him right now." Callum nodded vigorously. "And if that's the case then we should go. The egg should be returned to Xadia. We could change things. We could make a difference."

Ezran looked down at the egg in his hands. "You're right. It needs its mother."

Callum stood and shouldered his pack. He looked to Rayla then Ezran and nodded at both of them in confirmation of the quest. Bait grunted and turned red. Callum smiled and nodded at the small creature too and then they were off, running from the castle and the violence behind them.

It was the bridge that made him pause. This was the crossing point. They were leaving home with no protection but an elf they just met and a sky primal stone with a voiceless mage. Callum didn't know if he could get his voice back without Viren or Claudia. But he couldn't trust them right now, especially not Viren. By leaving now, he knew it was possible he would be voiceless for a very long time. Who knows how long? But the thought of his aunt Amaya gave him courage. If she could go through her whole life deaf, then he could be mute for however long it takes.

As he gazed up at the tower he left his father in, he suddenly remembered he fallen guard in the stairwell. He prayed his father wouldn't meet the same fate tonight.

As if reading his mind Ezran said, "Callum? Do you think Dad will be okay?"

Callum turned to his brother. He put his best brave face on then nodded. No need for Ezran to worry. Should I even be worried? He has the finest guards in the kingdom defending him. Then he remembered the arrow that almost hit him and could have killed Soren. There were already so many casualties before that arrow was even shot. He turned away from Ezran before his facial features gave away his thoughts. Then he jerked his head towards the woods and they all turned to keep moving.

It was a while before Rayla faltered in their half jog. She seemed distracted.

What's going on? Callum thought. Something's wrong. Rayla noticed him watching her. He pointed at her and then gave a thumbs up questioningly. You good?

She hid her right arm subtly behind her back. "No. It's—we should stop and rest soon." She looked him in the eye and smiled. She was hiding something. "It's a long journey to Xadia."

Callum smiled back anyway, giving her the benefit of the doubt just this once.