The next morning, Rustam was woken up by Rhodaph and told to meet their family in the entry hall. He hurriedly got dressed in some casual clothes and rushed over to meet them. When he got there, his parents and Rexus were there along with Daelyniel, Sir Oren, Lady Brunhilda, and Ignacia, who looked very unhappy and sleepy. She was leaning against Daelyniel and yawning as she struggled to wake up.

“What’s going on?” he asked. "Why is everyone here?"

King Padraig had a grim look on his face. “We need to return home immediately. We received a message last night that there was another drake attack.”

Rustam’s heart dropped when he heard that. There had been some attacks here and there since the first assassination attempt. Most of them weren’t too serious and they never attacked any towns or villages, but that apparently has changed. “How bad was it?”

“It was a group of six,” his mother replied. "They destroyed a small village not too far from the kingdom."

Almost everyone gasped. There had never been a group attack. The most Rustam ever saw was two at a time, but six? He could only imagine the damage they’ve done. “Were there…survivors?”

“Very few,” his father answered. “And that’s why we need to return immediately. We need to provide shelter and food, and see about building defenses everywhere. If they attacked a small village, it’s only a matter of time before they start attacking towns and cities.”

“Melita and Luvern are looking into the situation, but we need to return now,” Xylaurel continued. “Sir Oren and Ignacia will create a portal so we can get there now. Daelyniel, you’ll stay here until it’s time to leave as scheduled and bring the rest of our stuff. I’m sure everyone will understand why we have to leave early.”

Daelyniel nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“The rest of you pack up only what you need now and meet back here in an hour,” the Dwarven queen ordered.

After saying their goodbyes to Galenova and her family and the Archfiend prince and his guards, Rustam and the others returned home via a portal. Sir Oren and Ignacia were able to create one with little issue and didn't drain all their magic from doing so. Teleportation magic was certainly not an easy one to master and could drain a single mage very quickly. That's why they only saved it for emergencies. And right now, the Dwarven people needed their king and queen. They had to act quickly or rumors would spread around that they were off frolicking with Nymphs while their people were attacked and killed.

Queen Xylaurel ordered Rustam and Ignacia to investigate while Rexus and Rhodaph were tasked to gather the survivors and bring them to the kingdom. 

“Goodness, look at this,” Ignacia shuddered as she looked around the destroyed village. She and Rustam flew ahead on her floating lime charm to start their investigation. Soldiers were helping the survivors gather their things and keeping guard. Most of the homes had been destroyed or close to collapsing. Everything was just broken or burned down. Some tents had been pitched to provide some shelter for them, but they offered very little comfort. “Six of them did this much damage.”

Rustam looked at the ground, seeing the footprints left behind by the beasts. “I think these beasts are smaller than the normal drakes we’ve encountered.” He knelt to get a better look and noted that they looked a little different in appearance. “Igy, look at this.”

Ignacia knelt next to him and frowned. “The footprints are definitely smaller, but they have a different look to them. Think it’s their babies?”

“Wouldn’t they look like the regular footprints, but smaller?” he pointed out and waved a guard over. “What can you tell us about the drakes that attacked here?”

“The survivors said that the beasts attacked at night. It was unexpected. They killed a mother and son who were coming back to the village and killed more,” the guard told them. “The survivors said they came in like a pack of rabid pack of wolves. One of the farmers managed to kill one that was attacking his daughter.”

“Show us the body,” Rustam ordered. The soldier led them to an area just outside the village. A large body was lying on the ground with a cloth covering it. Splotches of blood were scattered all over it. “Thank you. We’ll take it from here.”

Ignacia didn’t wait and uncovered the beast. The soldier gasped when she grabbed the hind leg and inspected its foot before continuing her examination. Rustam smiled uncomfortably at him as she started moving the body around, uncaring about the blood getting on her hands. The soldier just shook his head and left them, mumbling that she must be crazy. 

“What do you think?” Rustam asked her.

“We need to take this body with us,” she said as she checked the teeth of the beast.

“Ignacia Flare-Star! What are you doing touching that thing!?” a voice yelled. Rexus walked over to them with Rhodaph, having finally made it with the wagons to transport the survivors. “Let the soldiers burn this thing and be done wi-”

“We’re taking it with us,” she cut him off without stopping her examination. “Grandfather and I need to examine it more properly with our tools back at the castle.”

Rexus’ hazel eyes widened and balked at her comment. The woman had to be mad. Surely she didn't expect them to bring it? “W-We are not bringing that thing with us! As your prince, I command you to stop that at once and let us burn this thing!”

Ignacia stood up and looked at him meekly before lowering her head in submission. “You’re right. I overstepped my boundaries and must follow a prince’s command…”

Rexus nodded and had a smug smile on his face after hearing that. For years, he and Ignacia had an antagonistic relationship and rarely got along. The woman was just so damn irritating to him with her eccentric and uncouth nature. But this was the first time he could say he won. “Thank you, Ignacia. Now-”

“Hold that thought,” she interrupted him again and looked at Rustam. “Now, Rustam. Be a good man and command me to bring the body back.” She looked back at Rexus with a smug smile of her own. “After all, I must follow a prince’s command, right?”

Rhodaph turned around to hide his laughter as Rustam looked at her in shock. Rexus' face turned red in anger and Rustam swore a vein was starting to pop out of his forehead. But she wasn't wrong. Even if Rexus tried to reorder her that she couldn't, she would just ask—more like demand—he command her to bring it. The only way Rexus’ order could overrule Rustam's was to get Rhodaph's vote, but he usually stayed out of decisions like this. “I…command you to bring the drake's body back with us, Igy.”

“Rustam!” Rexus shouted. “We cannot bring that-that thing with us! Rhodaph! Speak up about this issue!”

“Oh no, you’re not dragging me into this again,” Rhodaph said with a chuckle. “I don’t know why you’re so against it. If Igy said she needs to bring it with us, we should do as she said. She and Sir Oren need it for their research.”

Rexus looked between the three of them, clearly not happy that Ignacia won this little battle. He scoffed as he walked off. “Do what you want.”

Rhodaph looked at them and nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him. What else can we do to help you, Lady Ignacia?”

She giggled as she watched Rexus stomp away before getting serious again. “I need to know more about the deceased. From appearance to age. Everything really,” she replied. There was an itch in her brain that she couldn’t quite scratch. She needed to talk to her grandfather about it and hear what he thought. They’d been looking at everything about the attacks for over a decade, but they still didn’t have much information about the drakes, their behaviors, or anything to help them find out where they were coming from.

Rustam watched the soldiers help the survivors onto the wagons and help gather what little stuff they had. He’d never seen such destruction. Any time a drake attacked, it was usually out in the open fields and remote areas. This was the first time they attacked a populated area. The village was completely ruined, and the only way they could restore it was to tear everything down and start anew. But that would take some time, and there was a chance the survivors would move elsewhere after recovering. “What do you think Mother and Father will do about this?”

Rhodaph shrugged as the soldiers came to take the beast’s body to a spare wagon. “I’m not sure. Right now, we need to focus on getting these people somewhere safe and providing shelter for them until they recover. If a lot of them wish to return, we’ll have to worry about rebuilding homes and replanting crops. That will take months, maybe a year or two, to do.”

The younger prince sighed and scratched the back of his head. It was still pretty early in the day, yet he felt exhausted. They were going to be busy for a while. 

“Ignacia, you can’t fly the wagon back!” Rexus screeched.

“Yes I can, you dung head!” she snapped back. “I need to get this back to my grandfather as soon as possible. The sooner we look at it, the better. Now move!”

Rustam and Rhodaph quickly ran over to them to break up the argument before it escalated. It wouldn’t be the first time Ignacia punched Rexus. Rustam put himself between them and gently pushed her back. “Igy, what happened?”

“Your idiot brother is being a stupid dumb idiotic asshole! He said I can’t fly the wagon back! I have enough energy to do it! You and I will get there a lot faster if we fly!” she exclaimed, puffing her cheeks. "He said it's going to cause a disturbance or something like that!"

Rustam laughed nervously. "Well, a wagon would look a little strange, but not as strange as your charm."

"Don't even get me started on that damn lime!" Rexus snapped as he thought about all the reports of their family received on a weekly basis about Ignacia flying around on her charm. At this point, almost all reports were from visitors or people who'd just moved to the continent. It was very awkward having to explain that it was just Ignacia flying on a plush lime and that she wasn't a threat...despite her cackling like a madwoman.

“I think Rexus just wants to spend time with you, Lady Ignacia,” Rhodaph jested.

Rustam had never seen his eldest brother’s eyes get so wide before or look lost for words. When he collected himself, he glared at Rhodaph. “Don’t speak such nonsense!”

Ignacia rolled her eyes and walked away. “Come on, Rustam! Let’s go before I decide to set your brother’s room on fire!”