The Dragon Prince is not mine.

The Dagger and the Wolf

"Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion."

- Unknown

Lightning licked the sky while thunder tremored the heavens. A torrential flow of rain tormented the earth below, covering the ground in a blanket of water. The winds howled as they raged and blew, not a care in the world for anything in their path.

Three humans formed a half circle around an unknown object, and the rest of the circle was filled in by four elves. Whatever held their attention was filled with immense power and importance, but it was blurred and distorted from view.

The expressions of those gathered were mixed as lightning continued to dance in the sky. The wind continued to blow harshly, its speed ramping up to hurricane force winds before it abruptly stopped altogether, the rain dissipating as well.

A calm settled over the group as the eye of a storm loomed above them. Their attention was once more focused on the blurred object, and a brilliant light began to emanate from it.

It continued glowing, blinding the humans and elves alike, until her vision was just a bright blast of white and nothing more. Just as the light began to burn her eyes, it disappeared, and only darkness remained.

All she could gather from the vision was that something important was coming.

And it was ready to change the world.

MOON NEXUS

"They're- they're getting out of hand, Lujanne!"

A frustrated elf girl paced back and forth in front of the elder Moon Mage, hands shaking as she struggled to hold any semblance of composure. Lujanne eyed the girl with a saddened gaze, "We will figure this out, I promise."

"That's what you said when these visions first started happening!" The elf cried out once more as she whirled around. Her hands waved wildly in the air, as if she was trying to shake her frustrations out of her body.

"You must calm down, my dear," Lujanne approached her slowly, and the girl peered up at her through solemn eyes, "You possess a unique ability most do not have experience with." The Moon Mage placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Sirini and I are doing what we can to learn more about your visions, but the lore is lacking."

The girl hung her head, "They're starting to hurt more." Her voice was quiet, meek even, and borderline defeated. Ever since the death of Avizandum a few months ago, she had been plagued by more and visions- each one more pressing and painful than the last.

And often times she couldn't do anything about the visions, even if she did share them with Lujanne and Sirini. None of them had a timestamp, and this left her guessing when- and if- her visions were going to happen.

The Moon Mage's heart panged at the sullen look her ward wore, "We're doing all we can."

The girl shook her head and pulled back. Words were muttered under her breath, but they were missed by the older elf. She crossed her arms over her chest in an almost protective manner and, without another word, she exited the sanctuary and made a beeline down the mountain.

Lujanne watched her go, heart heavy and mind unsure.

She wished she had more answers for the young elf, but it seemed the world was gearing up for a big change, and her ward was destined to watch it from afar.

KATOLIS

Allania trudged down the Cursed Caldera, tugging her satchel strap closer to her chest as she tucked a stray strand of black hair behind her ear. Her mind was shaky at best, and a dull ache had settled at the back of her skull. The girl sucked in a deep breath, hoping the fresh morning air would relieve some of the pain in her mind.

The horse beside her whinnied nervously and pulled away as a coarse breeze blew by. Allania reached up and gave her a soft scratch behind her ear, cooing softly in hopes to calm the gentle giant. Her actions seemed to work, and the scared horse

Another cool breeze ruffled her hair, and Allania felt a soft shiver run up her spine. She fluffed her hood up, pulling her cape closer around her body and reveling in the newfound heat- even if it was only a little bit. She kicked at the snow as she further trekked down the path, the town at the base of the Cursed Caldera coming into view.

Familiar barks and yips echoed up the mountainside, and the mare beside her began to fidget anxiously. Allania stroked the equine's muzzle, cooing to her softly in an effort to get her to calm down once more. The commotion continued to grow louder before the culprits were revealed. The girl smiled as Ava- followed closely by her trusty human companion, Ellis- rounded the bend, the two covered in snow.

Though Allania may have been happy to see the young girl and her wolf, the horse beside her was less than pleased. And as Ava made a beeline towards the raven, she had to fight against the mare to keep her from rearing back and bolting.

"Woah there, Ava!" She stepped between the frightened horse and overjoyed wolf. Ava's head tilted to the side curiously before she plopped down in the snow, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. Ellis jumped onto her canine companion's back with a laugh and flashed Allania a toothy grin.

"Allania! What are you doing all the way up here?"

Allania smiled down at the younger girl. She murmured sweet nothings to the mare, still trying to get her to calm down, before addressing Ellis, "I had to rescue this sweet girl here from the Caldera."

Ava climbed to her feet, lifting Ellis up in height as well, and the mare shook her head at the sudden motion.

"Careful," Allania warned softly, placing a hand upon the equine's forehead, "She's still a little frightened."

The mare's eyes were wide, and she pawed at the ground nervously. Her body shifted back and forth, as if she was ready to bolt at any second. Ellis seemed to take the hint and patted Ava's head. The wolf glanced up before listening to her companion's silent message and laying down once more, head place softly between her front paws.

Ellis slipped off Ava's back as Allania continued to stroke the mare's neck. With careful hesitation she approached the horse, hand extended outwards towards the mare's nose. Her nostrils flared ever so slightly as she sniffed Ellis's hand, before coming to the conclusion the young girl was harmless. She nuzzled into the outstretched hand.

A soft smile settled on Allania's lips as Ellis beamed at the mare. She immediately- with careful movements- began to shower the mare with love. Ava grumbled from her spot on the ground, looking mildly jealous as her young companion directed her attention elsewhere.

While still holding the reigns carefully, Allania leaned down to scratch behind the wolf's ears, and her tail wagged happily, "Don't worry, Ava, we still love you too."

Ava yipped softly, and Ellis climbed back on the wolf's back once more. Allania gently tugged the mare forward, prodding her to walk, and the four made their way down the mount.

Ellis chattered happily about her and Ava's morning adventures, and how she totally beat the wolf in their snowball fight. Allania couldn't help the fond grin that was on her face as the young girl relayed her stories with excitement, though conscious of the volume of her voice as to not frighten the mare further. Allania welcomed the distraction, as seeing Ellis and Ava always put a happy feeling in her heart, and the dull ache in the back of her mind faded away.

Once they finally entered into the small town, the group went their separate ways. Ellis and Ava disappeared back into the snowy mountain, the two looking forward to further enjoying the fresh snowfall. Meanwhile, Allania directed the mare towards the animal doctor's clinic, where she could recuperate comfortably and safely.

"Isaiah!" Allania called, entering the animal doctor's clinic through the barndoors in the front, "I've got our long-lost friend."

"Allania," The doctor spoke, stepping out of a stall and wiping his hands off. His voice was calm, but she could sense the underlying reprimanding tone, "I'm glad you were able to catch her, but I told you to wait for me." Isaiah shook his head and Allania had the decency to look slightly sheepish as she tucked a raven lock of hair behind her ear, "The Cursed Caldera is no joke. You shouldn't be going up there on your own."

The girl shrugged nonchalantly and removed the reigns from the horse's mouth. The horse whinnied softly, and Allania reached up to scratch behind her ears, "I'm sorry. I know I should've waited, but I saw the trail and didn't want to lose it…" She gave Isaiah a soft smile before turning and pressing her forehead against the frightened creature's own.

He sighed, watching the two interact for a moment before shaking his head, "What's done is done. I'm just glad you two are safe." Isaiah walked up to the horse, caressing her mane and Allania held the horse still as he began to examine the equine for any signs of injury or trauma.

It was rather quiet in the clinic, the only sounds being Isaiah as he occasionally muttered to himself, and the soft shuffling of the other animals under the care of the animal doctor. This silence was disturbed, however, as some of the horses shifted anxiously in their stalls and began to whinny.

The commotion caught Allania's attention, and she looked up to see two young boys entering the clinic. A flash of recognition washed over the raven, and a familiar sense of pain twanged in the back of her skull.

The two looked rather out of place and hesitant as they ventured into the clinic, glancing around at the different animals that were under the doctor's current care. The taller boy clutched his satchel closer to his chest and tugged at the red scarf that was around his neck nervously. Meanwhile, the youngest hugged the grumpy looking creature in his arms closer to his chest, and Allania frowned as she peered at it.

It wasn't a common creature in the area, as it was obviously of Xadian origin, so it surprised the girl to see two humans carrying it around. She, however, knew the doctor didn't have much experience with creatures of its type.

"We've got company, Isaiah."

"Hmm?" The doctor glanced up at the girl before looking over his shoulder, taking note of the two visitors, "Oh, I'll be right with you!" He called out before continuing on with his exam. Allania smiled at the two as they nodded in response.

They entered further into the clinic, walking towards where Allania and Isaiah stood with the frightened mare. The youngest glanced around at the other horses, smiling at them fondly and laughing as one neighed at him.

Isaiah patted the horse's back gently and concluded, "She seems alright. Still frightened, but I'm sure she'll make a full recovery." As he turned towards the two boys, he called over his shoulder, "Fetch her some water, will you Allania?"

"Of course."

The raven scratched the equine's chin lovingly before grabbing an empty wooden bucket and walking towards the nearest faucet. As she began to fill it with water, Isaiah studied the creature in the youngest boy's arms as he approached the two.

He pulled back, shifting his glasses and looking rather sorrowful, "Oh, I'm so sorry. There's nothing I can do for that poor creature. Mmm."

The older boy blinked, glancing down at his companion's animal friend as the younger boy did the same, "What?" He sounded confused, and Allania turned off the faucet once the bucket was full, "Oh, no, no, no. He's fine!" The boy in the scarf laughed, brushing off the doctor's comment and stepping forward, "We have, uh, a different problem…"

Allania eyed him curiously as she passed by with the bucket, walking slowly in an attempt to not spill any water. The boy's voice seemed hesitant, and it piqued her interest as to why he was so unsure, but she kept her mouth shut. The sweet mare whinnied as she placed the bucket of water before her, and the younger boy walked towards the horse.

"Oh, what happened to you little sweetie?" He cooed; voice laced with concern. As if responding, the horse whinnied back, "Awww!" The boy wrapped his arm around the equine's muzzle, nuzzling her close as the horse soaked up the attention. It almost seemed as if he understood the mare, "You saw something really scary, didn't you?"

Allania cocked her head to the side, confused as to how he could have deduced that. Most people couldn't read animals that well, "Yeah, she did." She stroked the mare's cheek, "She ran up the Cursed Caldera."

"And this is why I'm always warning you to not go up there, Allania." Isaiah lightly reprimanded his assistant. She smiled at him sheepishly as he added on, "Whatever she saw, she's lucky it only scared her. Won't make that mistake again." He patted the mare's cheek, and she bent her head to lap at the water, "So, what can I help you with?"

The two boys shared an unsure look, "Well you see, uh, it's a long story…"

"I believe we've got the time."

With the tea poured and each person seated around the wooden table, Isaiah prodded the two boys gently, "Now, tell me exactly what's going on." He could sense their hesitation and unsureness as well, and if they weren't honest with him, then he couldn't help them to the fullest degree of his ability.

The younger boy glanced down at his pack, placing a hand on it before sharing a look with his companion, who began to speak, "Well, uh, a friend of ours has a problem."

"Jofus!" The one with the grumpy creature cut in with a smile. Allania didn't miss the annoyed look the older boy flashed him.

Isaiah shifted his glasses, glancing at the two with disbelief, "Your friend's name is Jofus?"

"It's a real name." The younger boy was defensive as he cradled his tea.

"Mmm-hmm. Yep!" Scarf boy agreed quickly- almost too quickly.

Allania quirked a brow, "I've never heard of anyone named Jofus." She ignored the look the doctor flashed her, instead watching the two boys share another nervous glance. The girl didn't mean any harm by her comment, but something was fishy here.

"Oh, trust me! It's a real name and our friend, Jofus, has an egg. An- an- an- animal egg." The older boy stammered, leaning forward in his seat for extra emphasis. Allania couldn't help the frown that settled on her lips, and from the corner of her eyes, she could tell Isaiah wasn't all that amused either, "He's been taking really good care of it! You know, keeping it warm, and safe… wrapped in blankets." He turned away, voice picking up in pace, "Except one time he dropped it into an icy lake for several minutes." He cleared his throat and smiled brightly, "Anywho…"

"Uh, sorry, what was that?"

The younger boy spoke up for his companion, and looked rather annoyed, "He dropped it into an icy lake."

"Joseph!" The other boy whirled around with an uneasy smile, "Uh, Jofus. Jofus did. This was Jofus."

"Oh, so your friend's name is Jofus?" Allania drawled with annoyance, sipping slowly on her tea. Whoever these boys were, they weren't the best liars and it was getting on her nerves. Scarf boy chuckled nervously.

"Allania." The doctor flashed the raven a stern look, and she mumbled out a quick apology. Isaiah turned his attention back to their visitors and carried on the conversation, "Right, of course. That sounds bad."

If Isaiah was anything, he was nothing but patient and kind.

"Yeah, we're worried it's hurt." The girl felt a slight bit guilty at the genuine looks of concern on the two's face. They may not be being truly honest with those they were seeking help from, but Allania could see that they were sincerely worried, "The egg is colder, and it doesn't glow like it used to."

Allania and Isaiah shared a perplexed look, "Wait, a glowing egg?"

"Uh… yes?" The older boy raised a brow, and his companion just frowned.

Allania's head tilted to the side as she processed just what he had said. The only glowing eggs she knew of were not from around Katolis- and even more so, they were exceptionally rare.

The doctor pushed his chair back and stood up, leaning over the table, "Look, I can tell you have a real problem," He spoke slowly, "We want to help, but we won't be able to unless you tell us what's really going on." The two boys shared an unsure look, and Allania could see the hesitance in their expressions, "I promise you, we're not going to get you in trouble."

The younger boy glanced from Isaiah to Allania, the latter offering him a kind smile. Despite her annoyance at their obvious lying, she did truly want to help.

With a sigh, his shoulders sagged as he spoke, "Okay, but you can't tell anyone."

"I promise," The doctor placed a hand on his heart before moving it to Allania's shoulder, "As does Allania, but you need to trust us."

The older one sighed, but he also looked slightly relieved as he gave his friend a reassuring look. The younger boy looked between the three gathered at the table before nodding and pulling up his sack. He set it on the table and reached down to pull up the flap, hesitating momentarily before flipping it open.

What Allania saw inside left the girl- and Isaiah- astounded.

The two shared a loud gasp, dazzled by the shimmering and glowing egg that sat within the bag. It was large in size, and a deep royal blue color. It was covered in multi-colored specks of various shapes and sizes that glowed and flickered lightly. Every so often the egg would pulsate, but Allania could tell it wasn't glowing as bright as it should've been.

"That's a… that's a dragon egg!" The raven-haired girl managed to squeak out. The older boy nodded in acknowledgement but didn't speak another word.

"I've never seen one before," Isaiah glanced at his assistant before returning his attention to the egg, "Only pictures in books. We'll do what we can." He gently rubbed the egg with his gloved hand, an unsure expression upon his face.

The two boys looked relieved, and Isaiah leaned down. Allania watched with bated breath as the doctor pressed an ear against the egg. He tapped on it lightly in various different spots, listening intently, "I do hear a heartbeat." He cradled the egg.

"That's good, right?" The younger boy quickly perked up.

"It's faint, and slow." Isaiah pulled back with a sigh, heart heavy as he shook his head. He looked sorrowful as he delivered his unfortunate prognosis, "I'm afraid its dying." Allania felt her heart drop, and she could tell the two boys felt the same way.

"A-are you sure?" She spoke softly.

The doctor nodded, "I'm sure. I don't know what I can do to save it. I'm so sorry."

"No!" The younger boy protested, reaching out to Isaiah, "There has to be something you can do! Anything! Please…" Allania felt her heart further break at the boy's desperate tone.

He wrapped his arms around the egg, leaning his head against it as a tear streaked down his cheek. The boy with the scarf looked sad as well and reached over to wrap his arms around his companion, "Come on, Ez, let's go. We'll find another way."

As the two continued to hug and cradle the dying egg, Allania stood up from her spot at the table to follow after Isaiah. He was stood facing the mare the girl had rescued earlier, hand resting on his chin and looking rather sorrowful and thoughtful at the same time. She knew the doctor hated when he couldn't help someone.

"Is there really nothing we can do to help?" She spoke softly.

Isaiah glanced at his assistant with sad eyes. He dropped his hands to his side, "There… There may be one thing, Allania." There was a brief pause, and the raven glanced over to see the two boys had packed the egg up and were making their way towards the exit, shoulders sagged and looking very dejected.

With a shake of his head, Isaiah spun around and called out, "Wait!" They paused, turning around and Allania was curious as to what he was about to say, "I'm hesitant to tell you about this, because it might be incredibly dangerous."

Realization as to what he was about to say dawned on the girl, and she reached out, "Are… are you sure, Isaiah?" An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

"No," He glanced over at her before looking back at the two boys, "but it might be the only way to save the dragon egg." There was another brief pause, and Isaiah looked like he was still debating with himself before he exhaled, "There was a miracle that happened a few years ago, but it happened… on the Cursed Caldera. There's someone you should meet, and Allania can take you to see them."

The girl nodded her head as her heart-rate picked up.

The pieces were all starting to fall into place.

Allania pulled her cloak over her shoulders as she exited the clinic with the two boys. They were looking slightly more hopeful than they were a few minutes ago, but she could also tell they were doing their best to not seem too hopeful. The girl didn't quite believe this was going to actually help them, but it wasn't her place to further dash their hopes.

"So…" She spoke, catching the boys' attention and the two glanced up at the older girl, "Is that a Glow Toad?" She attempted to distract them as she pointed to their animal friend.

The younger boy- Ez she recalled him being referred to as- smiled as he held up his animal companion. It grumbled at the movement, "Yeah! Have you seen one before?"

"No, I've only seen them in books." Allania shook her head, pausing for a moment to reach down and scratch the grumpy creatures chin, "but they're much cuter in person." She cooed, and the Glow Toad let out a content croak and wagged his tail as the girl showered him with affection.

"Hey, Bait seems to like you!"

Allania furrowed her brows, "Is Bait his name?"

"Yeah," The older boy chimed in, rubbing the back of his neck, as Ez lovingly patted Bait's head, "It's a… uh, interesting story."

"Mmm. I'll bet." The girl hummed and rounded a corner as she continued to lead the boys to their destination, "I'm Allania, by the way." She called over her shoulder, suddenly remembering they hadn't had a proper introduction yet.

"I'm Callum," The boy with the scarf gestured to himself before waving at his companion, "And this is my younger brother, Ezran."

"It's nice to formally meet you two." The girl laughed.

Ezran grinned, "And it's a pleasure to meet you too, Allania!"

"I'm Ellis, and this is my sweetie wolf, Ava!"

A young girl chirped with bright eyes, and Allania smiled as Ava lovingly rubbed her muzzle against Ellis's cheek. They shared a warm embrace, noses rubbing against each other as the oversized canine cooed happily.

After explaining the situation at hand to Ava- in a very vague manner Callum insisted upon- the young brunette was more than happy to sit down and share her wild story with the two brothers. So here they all sat, the fireplace aglow and providing a welcoming warmth on the otherwise freezing day.

Ellis chuckled as she pulled away from Ava, and the wolf trotted over to Allania's side. She stroked the canine's fur lovingly as the young girl began to speak once more, "The doctor's right, there was a miracle." She leaned forward in her chair with a shrug, "I still don't really understand what happened, but I do know this… without it, Ava would be dead."

Ava whimpered softly at the comment, shifting away from Allania and returning to Ellis's side. The brunette turned towards her companion, stroking the side of her face as she delved into her harrowing tale just as Bait clambered into Allania's lap.

"Two years ago, I found her in the woods, when she was just a little cub…"

Allania fidgeted, eyes trailing towards the fire as Ellis finished relaying her tale of the miracle healer on the Cursed Caldera. Ava barked at the end of her human's story, and Ellis reached over to wrap her arms around the wolf. They shared another loving embrace, the sight shedding some of Allania's nerves as she smiled softly, and Callum jumped to his feet.

"We have to find this miracle healer!" He declared, gesturing towards Ava's magically restored leg, "If she can save a cub's missing paw…" The scarfed boy glanced down at his brother.

Realization dawned on Ezran's face, and Allania frowned as he to jumped to his feet. He raised his backpack high up, and Bait jumped off the raven's lap, "Maybe she can save a dragon egg!"

So much for vagueness.

"Wait, a what?" Ellis exclaimed, eyes wide and the two boys froze. They shared perplexed looks before shifting their gaze towards Allania, silently seeking her help. The girl shrugged, and Callum fumbled for words.

"Uh, he said, maybe she can… shave a wagon leg!"

"But why would she… but-" Ellis tried to make sense of the situation as the two brothers' plastered on their best 'we promise this all makes sense' faces as they slowly shifted towards the door.

Standing up with an eye roll, Allania placed her hands on her hips. These boys were not the smoothest, "He said, maybe she can save their friend, Lagan's, leg."

"Yeah!" Callum agreed with a nervous chuckle, "Our friend, Lagan, has a leg… that he hurt…"

Ellis didn't look convinced, and the raven knew she was smarter than that. Allania didn't like lying to the young girl, as they had gotten close in the years since she saved Ava, but the less people who knew there was a dragon's egg in town, the better.

After all, she had seen how the town had reacted to the Sunfire forged dagger some random swordsman tutted about with in the commons. They were awed by it, despite the human's history with Xadia, and a dragon's egg would certainly be a spectacle.

Allania just wasn't sure it'd be a good one.

Ava's tail wagged happily back and forth at the commotion in the small room, and Ellis narrowed her eyes at the trio, "I could've sworn he said dra-"

"Sorry!" Ezran cut in with a bright grin, awkwardly clearing his throat as he slung his bag over his shoulder and scooped Bait into his arms, "Gotta go!"

Allania shrugged apologetically as the boys made a beeline towards the door, the young girl staring after them in confusion. She offered Ellis a smile and mouthed an apology as Callum shouted, "Thank you so much!"

Ellis blinked as the door slammed shut behind them.

"Well, that was smooth." Allania commented coyly once the trio was a few houses away from Ellis's. She pulled her dark hair over her shoulder and flipped up her hood as a particularly cold breeze blew through the alley. If her two companions were cold, they didn't show it.

"Yeah, well, if Ez here hadn't slipped up…"

"Hey!" The young boy protested, glaring up at his brother, before shrugging lazily, "It just… slipped out."

A small smile flitted across Callum's face, a sign that he was only joking, before he shook his head and glanced over at Allania. The girl had absentmindedly been following the two boys as they made their way towards the town's main square- as she felt compelled to follow the brothers and the dragon egg. If they were opposed to her company, neither of them said a thing her.

The scarfed boy looked thoughtful for a moment as he stared at the girl, and Allania turned her brown gaze towards him with a quirked brow. Callum cleared his throat, averting his eyes before rubbing the back of his neck and speaking softly, "So, uh, Allania…"

"Mmm?" She prodded.

"The- the doctor made a comment about how you've been up the Cursed Caldera, right?"

"That he did." Allania responded vaguely.

Ezran's eyes brightened as he turned to stare up at the raven, finishing his brother's thought, "Do you think you could lead us up there?"

Allania faltered for a moment, choking on her breath and she cleared her throat, "I, uhm, what?" Frankly, she couldn't be too surprised they asked her this- and if Ezran hadn't slipped up with Ellis, they may have asked her to take them up.

She just wasn't sure if she should or not.

Ezran and Callum looked towards Allania with hopeful eyes, each brushing off her initial reaction as she looked away, "I don't know if that's a good idea… you don't know if this healer really exists and- and the Caldera is dangerous!"

Callum had the decency to look a little bit more hesitant in regard to what they asked the girl, but Ezran still seemed eager at the lead and continued to press, "But it's our only lead!" He held his bag towards the girl, who still looked unsure, and if they weren't closer to a busy part of town, Allania was sure he would've opened the bag to show her the dying dragon's egg once more, "Please? The magical healer may be our only hope!"

And just like that, an unfamiliar feeling washed over Allania, and she found herself agreeing to be their guide despite her mind protesting. She wasn't sure what compelled her to agree- and so suddenly as well- but in her heart it felt right, and as if something big was close to happening.

"Great, we've got a guide! Now we just need to go get Rayla and we can head out!" Callum chirped, looking the most hopeful Allania had seen him in the short amount of time she had known the boy.

"Uh, who?"

"She's our elf friend!" Ezran beamed like it was obvious, and Allania felt her eyebrows shoot up. A dragon's egg and an elf girl all in one small town. This was all very intriguing- and honestly, explained a lot.

"Ez!" The older boy hissed at his brother, who just shrugged nonchalantly.

"What? She's going to find out eventually! It's not like Rayla's that good at hiding her elf-ness."

"Yeah, but…" Callum trailed off unsurely before daring to glance Allania's way. The girl's lips were pursed, face unreadable, and he feared the worst concerning her reaction to the news they had an elf with them.

"Okay," The raven breathed out with a shrug, "Makes sense."

"What, uh, what makes sense?" Callum's lips twisted in confusion as he pondered Allania's reaction, and Ezran turned to keep walking. He was confused by her reaction, as most other humans didn't look too favorably upon elves, but Ez was right- there was no way they could hide Rayla's elven heritage from Allania on their journey.

"You have a dragon egg. Those come from Xadia. Do you know what else comes from Xadia?" She toyed with a soft laugh.

The scarfed boy tilted his head to the side, "Elves?" He answered slowly.

"Right you are!" Allania poked his chest, before spinning around the frowning teen. She raced off after Ezran, leaving a blinking and mildly baffled Callum behind.

More and more pieces were starting to click together.

The town square was relatively deserted as the trio entered it. An unnerved feeling tugged at the back of Allania's mind, as it was very odd for the area to be this deserted at the time of day it was, but she brushed it off as nerves at the journey that laid ahead. In the middle of the square sat a lone figure, hunched over and shrouded in a cloak, and as soon as Ezran's eyes landed on them, he shouted.

"Rayla!" The young boy was quick to then cover the distance and the figure- Rayla- glanced up. She looked rather sullen, but Allania was only able to get a short look at the elf, as she was quick to duck her head upon noticing the stranger with Callum and Ezran.

"Did you find the knife guy? Did you get his knife?" Ezran barraged the cloaked elf with questions as Allania and Callum approached the two. The raven was mildly confused as to what he was talking about but didn't bother to ask as it didn't concern her.

Rayla pulled the cloak tighter around herself, as if trying to further hide herself, "Who's yur friend?" She spoke lowly, ignoring Ezran's own question to inquire about the newcomer.

"Oh, uh, this is Allania!" Callum gestured at the taller girl beside himself, who waved in response, "And she knows… about the egg… and you… being an… elf…" The boy smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as Rayla peered up at him with a deep frown.

From within the depths of the cloak, Allania could make out a pair of purple eyes, which were filled with hesitance and concern. She couldn't blame the other girl for being wary of strangers- especially the human kind. The raven had heard all about how elves were 'blood thirsty and vile' creatures from the villagers, so she could only imagine how on edge Rayla must've been, especially in a human town, on the human side of the world.

"That I do." Allania hummed, doing her best to offer the still cloaked girl a comforting smile. She really didn't mean any harm.

At the sound of the new voice, Rayla shifted her violet gaze towards Allania, cloak lowering ever so slightly, "An' you don't care?"

She shrugged, "Not all humans view Xadians unfavorably."

Rayla didn't look super convinced, but she didn't press that specific matter further. However, she wanted to ask just why the girl was there, but Callum cut back in before she could say something, "You never did answer…" He spoke softly, almost as if he was approaching a tricky subject, "Did you get the knife?"

The elf's shoulders sagged and she released her cloak before sticking a hand out. The skin color was obviously not the right shade- and Allania could recognize the dying tissue as the hand lost its blood flow. There was a bind on Rayla's hand, one that was very taut and seemed mystical in appearance.

Allania recognized the symbol of the Moonshadow elves on the bind, and with a closer look at Rayla, she could now tell the other girl was a Moonshadow elf herself.

"The bad news is…. The Sunforge blade didn't work."

The raven frowned, "Wait, are you talking about the dagger that swordsman guy's been flashing about?"

"You know of him?" Ezran glanced up.

Allania nodded, eyes fluttering in annoyance, "Yeah, he showed up a few weeks ago bragging about the Sunforge dagger he somehow stole from a Sunfire elf."

"That's the guy," Rayla rolled her eyes as well, giving Allania the impression that she also had an unfavorable encounter with the man, "Anyways…" She flipped her hood down, showing off her elf-ness to the world, "the good news is that the binding will fall off naturally…" The girl tried to look optimistic as she studied her injured hand. After a few seconds it went limp, and Rayla frowned at it, "when my hand does…"

Ezran looked mildly skeeved out, and Allania crinkled her nose, "That's… optimistic." Rayla shrugged with a grim expression.

Callum grimaced at the thought, him and Ezran sitting down on either side of the elf as Allania stood before the three. The scarfed boy placed a hand on Rayla's shoulder, "Ah, Rayla, I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Rayla kicked at the stone beneath her feet, shoulders slumped further before she glanced between Ezran and Callum with a slightly hopeful expression, "Tell me something good happened with the egg?"

Callum glanced up at the sky, "Yes and no." Rayla frowned and Allania rubbed her arm awkwardly as the scarfed boy stammered, "Well… well, no. Not yet, but maybe!"

"You really have a way with words, don't you?"

Ezran giggled as Callum shot Allania an annoyed look, Rayla looking between the three with mild confusion- and annoyance. She didn't understand why this random human was with the princes, or what help she could possibly be.

"Oh, ha ha." The older boy grumbled before shaking his head. He returned his attention to Rayla, who stayed silent as he chuckled nervously, "but, uh, yes? In a way? We might have good… news?"

The elf didn't look convinced, and Allania crossed her arms, "Okay, that's averaging out to be a maybe-minus."

"Yeah, that's about right."

Ezran leaned forward as Rayla and Callum glanced at the ground, Allania still standing quietly before them, "We learned about a miracle healer. Someone who might be able to help the egg. And your hand too!" The younger boy jumped up, coming to stand next to Allania as Rayla looked hopeful, "And Allania can take us to them!"

"Really?" The young elf smiled, sullen demeanor shifting away as hope bubble up within her.

"Oh, but you're forgetting the best part!" Allania spoke up, voice laced with mild sarcasm. She turned, lifting a hand and pointing delicately at the mountain that loomed over the town. All eyes snapped to where she was pointing, "The healer supposedly lives up there."

Callum's shoulders sagged as he took in the full height of landmark and breathed out, "The Cursed Caldera."

"Please tell me it's named that because it was discovered by the great explorer, Sir Phineas Cursed." Rayla spoke with a grimace.

"Well, actually, it's because it's infested with horrible monsters-" The scarfed boy turned towards his friend, who flashed him an unamused look as Allania cut him off.

"I believe that was sarcasm, Callum."

He pursed his lips in mild embarrassment, ignoring Rayla's agreeing nod, "No I, uh, I knew that…" Callum twiddled his fingers, glancing from the stones below his feet to the mountain and back again.

Allania sighed as she turned to glance back up at the mountain herself. The raven ran a hand through her locks and shook her head. She couldn't believe she was doing this, "We should probably-"

"There she is! She's an elf!"

Rayla jolted at the sudden call out, eyes going wide as her three human companions jerked around. A mob had abruptly appeared out of nowhere, led by the swordsman with the Sunforge dagger, and they didn't look very happy. He jabbed said blade in their direction, the weapon glinting in the sunlight as the mob clamored and jeered around him.

"And there's the humans that do look at Xadian's unfavorably…" Allania muttered under her breath as she prepared for what was to come.

"Oh, right." Their elf friend laughed nervously, "I forgot about the other bad news…" She had stood up from her spot, cloak still wrapped tightly around herself as she slowly began to back away. Ezran and Callum's eyes were narrowed in uncertainty, before they suddenly widened as Rayla turned tail.

It took a brief second for the three humans to digest the fact that they should probably run- and when it did click, they were quick to race after the girl. The mob immediately high-tailed it after them, pitchforks and brooms raised high as they yelled after the quartet.

Allania could've sworn she heard someone call her name and tell her to get away from the elf, but she didn't dare look over her shoulder to see who it was. She knew what she was getting into the moment she laid her eyes on that dragon egg, and she knew just what a good majority of the town's folk thought about Xadians- she had, after all, grown up here- so she was fully prepared for the risk she was about to face.

But this was just something that she knew she had to help with and wouldn't back out now.

So, as Rayla, Callum, and Ezran were chased out of the town's main entrance and up towards the Cursed Caldera, Allania made a quick detour.

There was one more piece of the puzzle they needed.

A/N: Guess who's fandom hopping into The Dragon Prince fandom? lmao

Kind of excited to work on this tbh because it's something new for me! I've been writing/drawing for the Young Justice fandom for ages so it's nice to jump into a different fandom for a bit~!

Hope you guys like this! I'm taking some creative liberties with some things that will be revealed in future chapters!

This is also going to be a slight Soren/OC story because I love him so much but it's going to be v slow burn and most likely won't officially happen until we get a new season after s3~

Let me know what ya'll think!

-SnowWolf22