Omega's Rebirth

"This..." Menarx murmured quietly, lifting the tiny button up closer to his view so he could examine it better.

"What is it Narx?" Everon asked in concern, moving closer to Menarx.

Lodenworth and Conrad watched in silence, none of the three could determine what exactly it was Menarx had seen to leave him in such a tense state.

But Menarx was completely frozen still, just staring at the item in his hand.

"This..." Menarx muttered, again letting his words trail off, the absurdity of what he was seeing left him completely stunned.

Though first glance had already told enough, Menarx found it hard to believe,

Hard to believe that he would find a piece of item he recognised so well out here in the middle of dwarven territory.

It was a very small object, a button that would most likely only fit the wrist button holes of a small sized person.

It was also made from a rare and precious gem, not the kind of button one would find commonly used by dress makers,

And especially not dwarves who would sooner store away gems in vaults than wear it on their person as an accessory sewn into their clothing.

Most importantly, it was also the exact button Menarx had requested the seamstress to inlay into each of Neveah’s new set of riding dresses when he picked out every detail of it,

For the second time after the the former dress Menarx had gifted was ruined in the course of the trials.

"Narx, say something... you are getting us worried here." Everon spoke up again when Menarx still did not explain his reaction.

Menarx blinked in confusion, wondering if it was just a coincidence.

It was not possible for Neveah’s clothing piece to be out here, amongst the treasures being smuggled out by dishonest dwarves.

But just how many of such gems were there in the stronghold, crafted into a button and bearing the crest of the Northern dragons?

"This... belongs to Veah." Menarx finally revealed, shaking his head in astonishment.

"Veah? It couldn’t be." Everon dismissed with a chuckle, his smile freezing up when he noticed Menarx was not jesting.

"It bears our clan’s crest... I had it made as an accessory for her riding dresses. They each come with a set of these buttons." Menarx revealed with dread, handing the button to Everon.

Everon examined the item and confirmed the presence of the crest.

"But how is that even possible? Neveah is back at the academy, in Keep skies. And we are a far ways out from the citadel." Everon pointed out.

"It would take weeks to travel this far with any other means but flight and no dragon lord would dare serve as mount to your rider, it would be sacrilegious." Everon reasoned.

"It shouldn’t be possible..." Menarx agreed, but the evidence in his hand said otherwise.

"Do not jump to conclusions, My Lord. We have heard no untoward word from Keep Skies." Lodenworth supported.

"What would Kirgan and the masters of the academy do if by any chance something..." Menarx trailed off, fixing a pointed look at Everon.

"I reckon they would... keep it under wraps." Everon admitted, knowing Kirgan almost as well as Menarx did.

"I will speak to Kirgan." Menarx decided.

"Narx, mental communication from this distance will require a great deal of strength from you..."

"Perhaps we should just focus on getting the information out of the dwarves? They should know something... how this came into their possession." Everon suggested.

"It truly could just be some form of coincidence." Everon added.

"I am fine. I must confirm Veah’s safety, immediately. Only hearing from Kirgan will I be rest assured." Menarx insisted.

With that said, Menarx sucked in a deep breath, letting his eyes flutter closed.

Menarx reached out into his mind, feeling for that thick, strong, pulsing bond he shared with his brothers.

Mind communication came easy to dragon lords, but even they had limits over great distances.

For Menarx and the rest of the king’s guard, the bond they shared was quite different and provided much greater allowances amongst the six.

Though it was a strenuous affair, establishing a communication link with any of his brothers even at a great distance was an easy feat.

It took a moment of concentration, but soon Menarx could feel Kirgan’s consciousness and the walls of his mind.

For other dragon lords, they would require Kirgan to lower that mind wall before they could share their thoughts, but Menarx easily got past it.

"Kirgan...where is she?" Menarx projected his voice to Kirgan’s mind.

Being a secondary presence in Kirgan’s mind, though uninvited, Menarx felt Kirgan’s reaction to his voice just as Kirgan felt Menarx’s own displeasure and suspicion.

And that first emotion from Kirgan was one Menarx recognized well enough...guilt.

And so, even before Kirgan spoke, Menarx already knew what to expect.

"Narx...Veah...she disappeared." Kirgan’s apprehensive words flooded Menarx’s mind.

There were not many things a warrior such as the Lord of Ruby scales would be fazed by, even in the face of a looming war, his calm was unwavering.

Many battles he had faced in his long lifetime and many battles awaited him, born and raised a battle dragon, it was his fate and Menarx had long made peace with it

Yet the last word Menarx could have anticipated to receive when he was hundreds of miles away from home leading the first scout team to dwarven outposts, was precisely what he heard at this moment.

"We cannot determine how...or through what means, she’s just gone... I have men out searching, it’s been two days." Kirgan reported.

"Two days...two days have gone by and I knew nothing of my rider’s disappearance?!" Menarx raged.

"Narx... I..." Kirgan began to explain but Menarx cut him off.

"Kirgan...you dishonor me." Menarx thought back and broke off the link.

Menarx could hear the sounds of his own heavy breaths as his predator side churned within him, the itch to take dragon form rushing up.

"Narx! You are not in any condition to shift!" Everon hissed, grab in Menarx’s shoulder firmly.