AU Fanfiction: Opening Volley

[gusthemoose]

Title: Opening Volley
Rating: R
AU: The Four Kingdoms. Link is F-locked.
Author's Note: So after doing all those massive notes, this AU wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote something for it. I couldn't write anything else, and believe me I tried, until I got something down for this. It's a mass of fandoms, muses and OCs, all lovingly used by me and twisted into my strange vision. I could list the fandoms I've screwed around with in this but it'd be longer than this author's note. It's un-betaed simply because this is insanity and really doesn't need to be taken seriously. Enjoy.

This is a thank you and massive love for all the muses and muns who have inspired and tolerated my strange writings and shenanigans in this epic insanity. This list will be updated the more and more muses I abuse.

If someone wants their muse off the list and out of the story, please tell me. If you'd like to have your muse involved somehow, please tell me. I'm more than happy to try and write more insanity in.

Muses & Their Muns who have inspired me:
a_specialist, abit_unsettlin, animus_noceni, bruisedwayne, hottestpsychic, laws_of_dawes, mabofwinterdark, magicians_son and more to come.
---


Smoke still hung heavy in the air. Even high above what had been a battleground only hours before where the air should have been fresh the smoke burned Castiel’s nose along with the sickly sweet tang of blood. While the Academy was still standing, including the front gate which had taken the brunt of the attack, it was by no means a victory.

“Is it true?” he asked the Metal dragon standing slightly behind him.

“Fifteen eggs were stolen,” Antony Ironskin said without hesitation. “We lost three more from falling down the tunnels and the nesting grounds are mostly unusable. We’re digging out a new nesting ground as we speak and we’re doing our best to keep the remaining eggs at the right temperature.”

Castiel gripped the railing underneath his hands tighter, the slightly rough stone scrapping against the softer skin of his human hands. However, the people spread out behind him needed him to be calm and rational. He could vent his frustrations later.

Turning, he faced those responsible for running the Academy in more peaceful times. The other dragon representatives stood together off to one side while the non-dragons were gathered together, including the military and non-military forces. They were all looking to him, Castiel Lighttouch a hero of the First Plagued War and founder of the Keeper tradition, for what to do. He had to lead.

“Captain Gibbs.” Castiel turned his attention to the man in charge of the Academy’s defenses. “What do you have to report?”

“They didn’t hit us as hard as we first thought,” the hard faced man said as he stepped forward from his non-dragon companions. “Even with the surprise attack on the grounds and then the nests, we only lost seventy-four and only one sentry drake. The Healers are working their way through the injured now, but from the reports I’ve received, they haven’t lost anyone yet.”

Castiel glanced over at the High Healer Taub. The gnome nodded in agreement with the Captain’s report which helped Castiel relax some. From all appearances he had expected the casualties to be higher.

“The Elementals are handling the remaining fires,” the Captain continued with a small nod to Antony, “And the Arcane are investigating how they got into the nesting grounds.”

“They had Spell Eaters,” Ebenezar Blackstaff said grimly. “I looked at the tunnels myself and the runes, glyphs, spells, all of them had been eaten or partially eaten. Just enough for those earth worms to get through.”

“So, it’s true then,” Uriel Nightskin spoke up, “The Fae and the Plagued have allied. They’ve declared war.”

“Now, there’s no proof of that.” Ebenezar, the strongest Arcane dragon in the Academy and one of the oldest was not known for jumping to conclusion.

“Did you see what attacked us? Those were earth worms, salamanders, harpies. Those are Fae forces. Spell Eaters are Plagued. They rode in on the backs of the earth worms and stole our eggs. How is that not a declaration of war?” Uriel drew himself up and glared at the smaller, silver haired dragon.

“Uriel,” Castiel broke in, his voice somewhat sharp. The Shadow dragon backed down after a moment. “While I am inclined to agree with you that this is indeed an aggressive action and a sign of war we cannot make assumptions right now. We have to investigate further before we bring accusations of war.”

“They attacked the Academy which is neutral,” the Captain pointed out. “They stole from us. I fought in First War too, you should know this is a sign.”

“That is exactly his point, son,” Ebenezar said. “We’re neutral. We can’t declare war. We solve the world’s problems through diplomatic means. We can’t make an exception for ourselves.”

“So what do you suggest we do, Arcane? Weave a spell to fix all this?”

Castiel was about to scold Uriel for his sarcasm but Ebenezar surprised them all.

“Yes.”

Everyone looked at the Arcane drake for a second as if he had lost him mind. It was clear from his expression that he had intended for that reaction.

“We weave one spell and while they’re watching that one, we weave another behind their backs.”

“Spy on the Seasonal Court? The Fae are overflowing with political backstabbing, they’re masters of spotting spies and traitors,” the Lore Master Langdon spoke up for the first time. “No one has ever managed to get a spy into the Seasonal Court. Illusionary spells are instantly broken in the Veil, the Fae are so attuned to voices and words, they can tell when anyone is lying. Whatever plan you have, it’s not going to work.”

“I appreciate the lesson, Lore Master, but I believe we could all use a different one now.” Ebenezar looked at Castiel, asking without words for the unofficial leader’s trust and failing that, his ear.

The Celestial dragon looked over those gathered, some impatient, some frustrated, and some worried. The only one who looked like they had any idea of what to do was Blackstaff. He sighed and gestured to the doors behind them.

“Let us at least hear what he has to say. We can discuss this matter further.” And Castiel was sure this conversation would last long into the night.

---

Even in the dead of night and the middle of winter there were a few people out in the streets of Three Waters. The city was built where three rivers connected to one that led to the ocean and as such was always busy with some sort of trade. None of those who were out at this hour paid any mind to the man tucked into an empty doorway. There would always be beggars in prosperous cities and no one cared for them except those who followed the Path of Light.

Wrapped tightly in his heavy cloak and sitting on his pack, Charlie listened to the whispers in his head. They were particularly loud tonight, making it difficult to sleep. Though most of the time he could ignore the voices, it was impossible when they got loud. The cold seeping through down to his bones wasn’t helping any either but he was out of money and the inn had turned him away. Since he was awake he tried to figure out what was being said.

The voices spoke of fire, immense heat, heat they could actually feel. He wondered if some Plagued city was burning. The Plagued didn’t really feel things since most of them were living dead things or so cold only a lot of heat could get through. When they did feel things like the things they were whispering about, it worried Charlie. If a Plagued city was burning it could mean war and he did not want to fight in another war, not when it left him like this.

This was a state suspended somewhere between life and death. Unlike the Plagued who had all died or never been born to get where they were he had never died. Under the hands of a monster, he had come close but they had never actually let him die, they just stranded him there right on the edge. That was why he could hear them, the Plagued and their mental whisperings. He had been here for twelve years now, trapped and listening.

His breath whispered out into the night and he delved deeper into the whisperings. They continued about fire, heat, how to manage and stranger still, what it would be like to fly. The only Plagued who knew anything about flying were gargoyles and they had a language all their own. Charlie couldn’t understand what they said about it, but something was clearly going on with the Plagued. When he heard them talk about Keepers and Kings, his eyes snapped open.

The world as he saw it was outlined in silver and completely without color until someone crossed his field of view. The person was awash in colors which told him all sorts of things like age, magical powers and personality. Whatever they had done to him had left him with eyes like this. Even with the cloth over to hide the washed out color of them couldn’t keep him from seeing the world. Like everything else with his state, he was used to it now and it didn’t distract him from his mission.

The phrase Keepers and Kings got him up and shouldering his pack. His walking stick was comfortably smooth in his hand and with the whispers unceasing in the back of his mind he set off for the docks. He needed to find a ship that would take a man with no money and no sight to the capitol city of Sanctum. Then he would have to get an audience with the King. Well, at least suspended life was interesting. He’d hate to be bored.

---

In midwinter the Fae court was covered in ice and snow, glittering, cold and surprisingly bright. Every last trace of summer and spring were gone and what remained of fall was frozen or frosted until it blended with the true elements of winter.

On his throne, the Winter King tapped his finger along with the icy minstrels who danced and played before him. He was a tall man, sharp faced and dressed in silver and white armor with a crown of frozen oak branches on his head. At his right hand, the Winter Champion, who like her King had sharp features but the long ears of the Elven race. There was no joy on her face, no light in her eyes, just stoic, cold silence. On his left hand sat his Queen, a beautiful woman in a pale blue gown with real snowflakes edging the skirt, sleeves and low bodice. She leaned close to her husband’s side, her hand occasionally coming up to stroke his arm.

The King paid her no real mind. She was considered his equal in power, but he dismissed most her opinions and attentions. The season of winter was his to rule and his alone.

And then the first head of the Royal Guard rolled slowly down the center aisle and stopped a few feet from the raised throne platform. A high born winter elf screamed in a piercing falsetto and in swarmed the Plagued forces.

They didn’t bother with the other members of the court but went straight for the King. The Winter Champion, twin swords gleaming in her hands, leapt straight for them. Five took her on and the rest flowed around like a swarm of locust and surrounded the King. Then the War General swept in, his blackened and bloodied armor standing out in the pristine white of the court while the Winter King cut down the Plagued around him with a heavy one handed axe.

None of the nobility rushed to help, even though their King was their God. They knew better than to interfere. Their Queen, their Goddess, stood to the side while their King was being dragged down by the sheer number of Plagued. The nobility knew a coup when they saw it.

With two werewolves holding down the King’s arms and one massive undead construct on his legs, the War General approached, his sword in hand. Tilting his head slightly he studied the struggling and angry King.

“I believe in the Fae Court, the custom is the killer becomes King, correct?” he asked, pointing the tip of his blade at the King’s throat.

“That is true, War General,” the Queen said. “Best act quickly if you have the gall. There are more guards on the way.”

The War General chuckled, “Queen Mab, you are a terrific liar.”

“I have had much practice, General Animus.”

“Yes, you have, haven’t you?” With his sword still pointed at the King’s throat, the War General Animus Nocendi ducked down next to the King, lifted the frozen oak crown from his head and dropped it onto his own. “Auberon, you should have accepted the Plagued King’s treaty when it was presented to you. Sadly, the only one responsible for your death is… you.”

“When the other Courts hear of what you have done, your second life will be ended, plague carrier.”

“I doubt that. What Fae would stand against the Winter and the Plagued? It would be suicide.” Animus rose to his full height and smiled at the furious King. “Do you know that the Dwarves have a saying? They’ll leave their lands when they are cold and dead. I’ve always found it very fitting. I intend to bring them both and more. I intend to bring war. The reign of the Sons of Man is going to end but it will start with your end.”

“Champio…”

The Winter King never finished the words as one swift downwards thrust severed his head from his body. It rolled down the dias steps and stopped at Animus’ feet. He picked it up by the hair and held it aloft for the whole court to see.

“The Winter King Auberon is dead!” he yelled while his Plagued troops gathered around him. “I, War General Animus Nocendi, have killed him. All hail the new Winter King Animus!”

“Hail! Hail!” the Plagued chanted, their voices filling the vaulted hall of the Court. “Hail! Hail!”

Animus tossed the head to the werewolves who began to fight over it while he climbed the steps and smiled at his Queen.

“A brilliant plan, your majesty,” he said with a mocking bow.

“A brilliant execution, your highness,” she returned with a mock curtsy. “If the rest of your King’s plans succeed, you’ll soon have your cold and dead world and I will have the Veil.”

“I believe that is a reason to celebrate.” He sheated his sword and clapped his hands. “Wine, music, a feast. Now! Your King demands it.”

But no one in the Court moved until the Queen gave a nearly imperceptible nod. The nobility knew who really held the power now.

---

“Murphy! Murphy!”

Over the organized chaos of the temporary evacuations, Lieutenant Constanza Murphy clearly her heard name and recognized the voice calling to her so she didn’t bother to stop strapping supplies onto the flank of an Air dragon. They were on a tight schedule. The Arcane dragons could only hold the portals open for so long before they got blown away by the mysterious magic that helped create them.

“Murphy!” The voice drew closer until a flustered and out of breath man appeared at her elbow. “Hells Bells, Murphy didn’t you hear me yelling?”

“I did, Dresden,” she said as she reached for another pack of supplies, “but if you didn’t notice I’m busy.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Dresden Copperfield, an Arcane drake currently in human form looked over her work and then waved to the Air drake she was currently strapping bags of grain onto. “Hey, Pathos, how’s it going?”

The Air drake rumbled out a noncommittal sound and shrugged his massive sail like wings.

“Yeah, I hear ya,” Dresden said with a nod of his head. “You don’t mind if I steal Murphy for a moment do you?”

“You’re not taking me anywhere,” Murphy broke in with an annoyed glare, “The Captain gave me orders.”

“You’re a Keeper, not a soldier. You don’t follow his orders.” Dresden wrapped a hand around her arm and started to tug her away from the drake, “Thanks Pathos, have a good flight.”

“Dresden.” She tried to wrench her arm away, but even in human form he was stronger than her.

“Don’t worry, someone will help. That’s what people do around here. This’ll just take a moment.”

She let out a frustrated sigh but didn’t have any other choice. She had to follow as Dresden led her to the edge of the crowd gathered in the scorched and stained courtyard. There wasn’t any real private place for them to talk, which is what she suspected he wanted. This was close enough apparently.

“You’re going through the Veil.”

“Yes.” It hadn’t been a question but she answered anyway. “The Captain chose me to go.”

“The Veil is a dangerous place for humans, you can’t go.”

She raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t have to say what she was thinking since it was on her face. Dresden ran a frustrated hand through his hair, making it stick up even more.

“Look, look, it’s not that you can’t go. You’re perfectly capable of going, but you shouldn’t go. It’s dangerous and your magic is waning right now. Without a Bond, going into the Veil is like offering yourself up on a platter,” Dresden explained with appropriate over dramatic hand gestures.

“I don’t have a choice and even if I did, I’d go. Someone stole the eggs, that needs to be investigated and I want to help.”

“Then at least go see Remiel and find someone to Bond with,” Dresden pressed, “You’ve got a daughter. You should do everything you can to make sure you come back to her.”

Murphy stiffened and did her best to keep her temper down. Dresden meant well, he really did. He had a good heart, but he was terribly over protective at times. She could understand why though, he’d lost his Bonded in the same ambush that had killed her drake. They had become close on the journey back to the Academy and she figured if it wasn’t for the incompatibility of their magic they might have Bonded but this was ridiculous.

“Since I like you, I’m not going to hit you for insinuating I don’t have my daughter’s best interests in mind,” she said calmly. “And you know how it works, you can’t force a Bond when it’s convenient. I’ve checked with Remiel and there are no Celestial drakes that… want to Bond.”

Dresden made a frustrated noise and glared in the general direction of the Celestial cliffs, like the dragons in there were responsible.

“Hey,” she scolded and he looked somewhat sheepish. “Dresden, I’m a Keeper and a soldier, I’m one of the better choices for security on this mission. Because of that, I’m going, with or without a Bond.”

“And Anna?” Dresden pressed, still using her weakness against her. She really would hit him if he kept it up.

“She’s gone to Sanctum to stay with my father in the King’s Court. She left on a drake early this morning.”

Again, Dresden made a frustrated noise. His concern would have been touching if it wasn’t so annoying. He was a good friend, but she had her orders and they were to escort and protect the diplomatic party through the Veil to meet with the Seasonal Court and investigate what happened to the stolen eggs. She would follow her orders, it was as simple as that.

“Who’s going with you?”

“Dresden,” she groaned.

“Who? I just want to make sure, you know, good people have your back.”

“Fine, Captain Gordon, Lieutenant Wayne and…”

“Lieutenant Wayne? Lieutenant Bruce Wayne? The guy who had his parents murdered by Fae? Why are they sending him?” Dresden asked, astonished.

It was a good question and one Murphy didn’t have an answer for. The last person she would have chosen as a guard in Fae territory would have been the equal parts lazy and fiery tempered Wayne but he was who Captain Gordon had chosen and she had little choice but to agree with it.

“Captain Gordon picked him,” she went on, “And Water drake Alfred Pennyworth, and Air drake Rachel Dawngreeter.”

Dresden paused for a moment, “Elementals?”

“The Fae get along best with Elementals. It’s a good choice.”

“I don’t understand, Ebenezar won’t tell me anything about what’s going on.”

“Have you tried saying please?” she asked sarcastically.

Dresden was incredibly nosey, even for an Arcane drake. He had gotten in trouble more than once with his mentor, Ebenezar Blackstaff, for investigating things that didn’t need investigation and sticking his snout where it didn’t belong. It seemed he was up to the thing now.

“Yes, I said please,” Dresden shot back, though one corner of his mouth was tipped up slightly in a half smile. “I explained very calmly that my good friend was going into a dangerous situation and it would make me feel a lot better if I knew what was going on.”

“We’re just going to meet King Auberon and Queen Mab for a short meeting about what happened here,” Murphy said in her most reassuring voice. “It’s a talk, a long, boring uneventful talk that will get us nowhere but let the Seasonal Court we know they have the eggs somewhere and we’re going through the steps of diplomacy before declaring war.”

“I hate politics.”

“Me too.” Now she smiled and lightly punched his arm, “That’s why we’re soldiers and not Generals.”

“Hey, you’ve got a rank, don’t be so sure about that, Murphy.” He smiled and then shoved her shoulder lightly. “You better come back in once piece or else I’m going to have to go on a rampage. Do you really want to be responsible for another rampage, Murphy?”

She laughed and gave in to the urge to hug her friend. It was brief, but it was nice and when she drew back she was really smiling. “Well, to keep you from rampaging, I’ll make sure to come back in one piece. Now get out of here, I’ve got more work to do.”

“All that work will kill ya.” Dresden was quick to dance out of reach of her punch and then transform into his natural shape. The massively tall and coppery colored drake rumbled with laughter at her. She was left shouting his name over the air that whipped around her as he vaulted himself into the air and flew back towards the Arcane cliffs.