The Diamond in the Rough

It was a huge, cavernous area, and yet, it was only a nook compared to the main place. However, it had been chosen for the brief privacy that it would allow for the two. To human eyes, it was a pitch-dark area, treacherous and rocky, stalactites and stalagmites making it all the more hazardous. But for the draconic eye, it was like the sun shining on the inside.

The silver-blue scaled dragon stood as tall as a house, and a good deal wider, eyes eerily glowing slightly in the darkness as he spoke to the one other, having to lower his head a good deal to do so.

Calyo, a black-feathered dragon about the size of a small car, looked around to survey the area, making sure that what he saw would remain in his memory. He kept his bat-like wings folded casually against his body as his two tails idly swayed with his movements.

"The Council has requested your presence after one of Tiamat's surviving minions let loose that a black dragon was fighting alongside metallic dragons. They asked me, and I answered in the affirmative. Now they wish to confirm it by seeing with their own eyes the dragon that assisted us. At least, that is what they told me. I doubt they even thought I would bring you, so be wary. They will use whatever you say against you at a moment's notice, so speak with a good deal of thought, and preferably only when you're spoken to, despite how rowdy it gets in there. Do you understand?" The silver-scaled dragon---Marjask---spoke to the featherdragon.

Calyo nodded once, understanding of what he was told. "Should I enter on four or two legs?"

"Four, stay feral. While they know of anthropomorphic forms, it would only alienate you more."

"I understand."

Marjask nodded, “Good, then let’s go. Carry yourself well,” He advised as he lead Calyo into the main chamber.

If the nook from before was huge, this put it to shame, as it opened out into a cavernous section the size of a grand stadium, with similarly-built tiers. However, due to the occupants being at least the size of a house, there was a good deal less spectators. One thing was true about all of them: they were all metallic dragons, scales shining gold, silver, bronze, or copper as they murmured, the dull roar of conversation increasing as Marjask lead Calyo to the center of the chamber, an arrangement of golds and silvers sitting on the closest tier, staring intently upon the two. Far at the back of this foremost gathering was the largest gold of them all by a long shot, skin dull and mottled from age.

Calyo looked around in sheer wonder. He had never seen a cavernous space as large as this, much less one occupied by so many dragons that were much, much larger than he was. Although he carried himself with what he hoped was a regal pace, the fact that he couldn't stop looking from side to side in awe of what he saw meant that he couldn't entirely focus on how he walked.

“I am finding it hard to believe, Marjask,” The gold at the fore boomed, his voice telling of no great deal of age, but still served to quiet a majority of murmurs, “That this is the dragon that---illicitly alongside you---felled a red chromatic priest of Tiamat’s. It would not be unlike you to bring in a more docile dragon to support your argument---perhaps, one that you have cowed or bribed into following your orders?”

Marjask was unphased, “I did no such thing, Kentar,” He said as he came to a stop, “If you wish, I could have him demonstrate that ability now, but I am afraid the collateral damage would be too much,” His eyes flashed.

“I predict we’ll see his abilities soon enough, once his hate of metallics, and inner evil kicks in. When that arises, he will die as all other chromatics do---for the pursuit of good. Until then, we shall keep this to words.”

“Very well.”

The only other time Calyo had ever felt fear was in the presence of his own father as he held his ground and forced a breath to steady himself in place of a gulp. It was now that he remembered the pair of rope-like scars that formed an X pattern on his back, but with this many eyes on him, any attempt to hide them would call the Council's attention to them.

“Like I told you earlier,” Marjask began again, “As all that serve Tiamat, the minion that gave you the information that a chromatic was fighting alongside us was false. Calyo,” He directed their attention to the featherdragon’s name by pausing briefly, and allowing his eyes to momentarily glance towards him, “Possesses no scales, only feathers. Therefore, he is not a true black dragon in full blood. So, I was not employing the services of a true chromatic.”

“But what other relationship other than that between a black and something else could yield such a creature? Who are your parents?” Kentar’s slit pupils focused on Calyo with intensity.

Calyo reared his head up proudly while he took a steady breath to prepare himself. In a formal and projecting tone that spoke not only of his generally benevolent nature, but also of his status as an emperor, he spoke, "Marjask speaks the truth in that I am not a true chromatic by blood. I am of a noble bloodline that is itself of mysterious origin. However, I shall speak the whole truth when I say that my mother is a silver feathered dragoness," he paused to let his emphasis on the last three words sink in, "and my father a black scaled dragon."

The chamber exploded with chatter and murmurs, only overpowered by Kentar’s words.

“So he IS a chromatic!” He boomed, “And YOU have let Tiamat herself enter this chamber!”

Marjask remained adamant, “He is as much a chromatic as he is a metallic. He is neither and both, and as far as we should be concerned, a metallic, for no chromatic---in the midst of battle---would kill or even dream of killing a great red wyrm.”

“So you side with a chromatic?”

“I side with Bahamut,” Marjask countered. “You were not there that day, as you chose to forgo the meeting simply because it wasn’t called here, but this dragon was chosen by the platinum dragon himself,” Marjask signaled for Calyo to display his proof.

Calyo, not even thinking, displayed the only thing he could possibly think of that Marjask could be talking about. He lifted his right paw up and showed the ring that he wore; the ring that he has been unable to take off his paw neither through physical nor magical means; the ring that gave him the power he had. Without it, he would most likely be a mere speck of dust to the dragons that surrounded him.
“And what is that?” Kentar scoffed.

“That, Kentar, is the ring of Bahamut, blessed by him and given to the featherdragon long ago. It gave him the power to strike down Tiamat’s priests.”

“What an unbelievable statement!” The gold laughed mockingly.

“Tanian was there,” Marjask calmly parried, “Tanian! Is this the featherdragon that Bahamut blessed?”

Kentar’s laughs were abruptly cut off as his golden eyes briefly widened. Far at the back, metallics began sliding out of the way of the elderly wyrm as he slowly walked forth, neck regally arched as he looked as if he might be able to inhale Kentar at a moment’s notice. He squinted upon Calyo for a moment, scrutinizing him, then nodded warmly.

“Aye, I knew it was him when the two first stepped in here. However, Marjask leaves out a detail. Not only was the featherdragon when Bahamut made his announcement, but Marjask was near him, just like he is now. It was one of the reasons I knew that Marjask would be the best choice for the Council, and look now! He has brought the very dragon blessed by Bahamut in front of us, as well as enlisted his aid against Tiamat!”

A murmur of approval rose throughout the ranks to Kentar’s frustration as he rose to the fore again, forcing Tanian to back down, “Enough! Still! He employed the help of an unapproved wanderer to help in a battle in which he was not needed!” The gold all but roared.

“Enough, Kentar,” A silver said beside him, “He has done no wrong, and if anything, has done even more right he could’ve without the featherdragon’s help. Marjask has not erred. Marjask! Calyo!” The silver called out, causing Marjask to stand a bit straighter.

Calyo stiffened a little when his name was called out in such a curt manner. The loudness of all the dragons around him was making his head pound as though a pair of pile drivers were attempting to lay a foundation in his thick skull, but he forced himself to not show his pain.

“Firstly, may I apologize on the behalf of Kentar and our behalf of giving you such scrutiny, to the point of predicting that one of you two would even die. If what Tanian says is true---which to that, I have no doubt in my mind---then you are welcome both here, and on the battlefield along any of our Talons. You two may leave, should you wish. Or, you may choose to stay and do…whatever you wish within boundaries.”

"Certainly," The silver replied, "Bahamut is the platinum dragon god. Friend and protector of all metallic dragons, as well as you. Tiamat is his polar opposite. Originally, when the two were created, they were meant to be mates. However, their personalities varied too much, and now they are opposing sides in a neverending war between his followers, and her abominations. Tiamat is the goddess of all chromatic dragons. She appears in physical form either as a human temptress whom no human is supposedly able to resist, or a five-headed chromatic dragon, one head of each color: green, red, blue, white, and black."

"Sounds like she certainly would be an odd sight to behold even for the colorblind," Calyo joked more in Marjask's direction, showing a more at-ease side of him now that he was welcome in the midst of all of these dragons that were massive compared to him. As he turned his head, the collar he wore and the ring of highly visible, yellow scales around his neck became visible to the dragons sitting in front of him.

Marjask raised an eyeridge towards the featherdragon, but otherwise said nothing. Thankfully, yellow scales would be interpreted as those of a young gold.

"Is there anything else you wish to know?" The silver at the tier inquired, Kentar meanwhile fuming behind him.

"I do have one more question regarding a certain evil being who I am seeking to eliminate. Does the name Thyxes ring any bells?"

"We do not know of that name," The silver replied to the blank looks and head-shakings of the other Council members.

"Figured no one would," Calyo commented, slightly bowing his head down in thought. So far, he'd said nothing of Abarin. Knowing that his spirit guardian had to be a fairly powerful chromatic for Tiamat herself to have taken the effort to confront him and ask of him to pledge his allegiance to her, he did not want to risk the fragile trust he'd managed to secure.

"Shall we go, Calyo?" Marjask murmured near the featherdragon's ear, barely able to keep the tone of smug triumph from lacing his voice.

Calyo nodded. "I need to tend to a few things on Zoar," he replied.

Silently, Marjask nodded as well, turning and leading Calyo back to the waiting open rift, at the nook that they had arrived in.

Calyo followed, wondering if he may be able to return to this place sometime in the future.