"Where's Senn?" Grek asked as Thunderdome landed, "And the Tidesinger?"
"It's kind of a long story." Hubris said. "We'll tell everyone in the meeting room. Where's Abbigail?"
"She's…" Grek pointed towards the small clearing behind the hill. "outside. I think she needs some time.
The remaining people gathered. Val spoke first.
"What happened?"
"We retrieved the Aggresium Prime, as planned." Ria said. "However, the Deathsinger attacked with some Nether forces. He appeared and won us the battle. During the fight, the Tidesinger was killed by the Deathsinger. We lost Denny." She paused. "Senn was taken prisoner, and Grek and Hubris were badly hurt."
"I am afraid those were not of as much importance as what we found out." Hubris interjected. "Before he was captured, we saw Senn had near identical markings with a Voltaris. That means he is Voltaris." Hubris looked around the room. "He could have been leaking information to the Deathsinger."
"Senn would NEVER!" Grek shouted, "He hates the Voltaris!" Grim grunted his agreement.
"Then why did he produce his shield when Ria tried to grab him?" Hubris retorted. The room fell silent.
"It might be," Ria was barely holding back herself from breaking down, "that he needed to comprehend this, alone," she sniffed, "and the last person he needed at that moment, was us."
"Then how about the Mobilium Prime?" Hubris pressed. "The Deathsinger almost went straight to Sulliman." The room was silent again.
"Should we interrogate him when he gets back?" Hubris proposed, "If he gets back?"
"No." Val said firmly. "Spy or not, Senn is our friend. When we were training, he was like a little brother to me. We cannot push him away just because he comes from a family he has never once met in his life!"
"Has he? Met them?" Hubris retorted.
"I think we can set aside Senn's identity for now." Val said. "The more pressing question is, what should we do with the Prime Songs?"
"Abbigail had it. She came back on Luna first with the Songs."
"Here." Grek said, taking out the red and blue cubes. Hubris looked away.
"Why did she…" Val started, but she was instantly captivated by the Primes. Eyes glinting, she reached for them, but Ria quickly put them away.
"When we first met at Northwind Pass," Ria said, "it was discovered that none but me could resist the corruption of the Primes. What Val just did there, is exactly why the Primes should be kept under lock and key.
"Other non-Song-wielding species, like me and Grim," Grek said, "are not affected either, but we cannot use that to our advantage."
"So," Val began, "Will you wield the two Prime Songs against the Deathsinger?"
"Yes." Ria replied. "I will travel to the first shrine of the Ardoni in Northwind, where long ago our species first learned to wield Songs. There, I will train with the Primes so that I may use them against the Deathsinger."
"Why there?" Grek asked, "there's a Song Shrine in every village."
"Which are occupied by the Nether." Val answered. "the first Shrine is the most powerful one, and because it is a sacred place, it has been so far untouched by the Nether."
"But can't they just lay siege to it if they find out Ria is there?" Grek pressed.
"Ria?"
Ria thought for a bit. "If they lay siege, then I guess we'll just have to find out exactly how powerful the Prime Songs are."
Abbigail planted a poppy on the mound under which Denny rested. She took a small stone slab and etched into it, with her sword: "Here lies Denny, a loyal Enderknight, a great chef"
She sat in silence, looking at the freshly built grave. Of the five knights she had found, Allistar betrayed her, Trevor and Saxon are captured, and though Volcannus had promised their release, they were as good as in another world. And now Denny, the one she had felt most close to, lie before her, dead. By the hands of the Nether.
Thunderdome came before her. Tucking in his wings, the dragon rested his head next to the stone slab. Rubbing it with his nose, he breathed out purple flames, setting the words alight. Then, he took off into the distance.
"I guess dragons need some alone time as well." Abbigail murmured.
It was nearly dark, and something flickered. Abbigail looked around. There was nothing in sight. Then the flicker came again, and she realized it was the Ender crown. She took it off and held it in her hands. As she watched, the purple glow faded as the crown became black. Luna, as if sensing the change, flew down and nuzzled into her lap. "What does this mean, Luna?" Abbigail asked softly. Luna shook her head. "I don't know either." She stood up.
"I don't need a crown to tell me who I am." She shouted, and the valley echoed her back.
"This isn't the end." She told Luna. The dragon looked at her with soft purple eyes. "Saxon and Trevor are still out there, and they need our help. If I'm no longer the Enderqueen, we'll rescue them as friends."
Abbigail remembered something. "Perhaps Volcannus can help." She looked in her bag for the Nether Star, and found the Eye of the End, which she had almost forgotten, was glowing. As she watched, it floated into the air, beckoning her to follow.
Abbigail found the Star and pressed down on its centers. It collapsed into a shockwave, beaming out from where she sat. In Crown Peak, Pythus lifted his head, sensing the vibration. Volcannus looked up as well. All around Ardonia, Withers, wither skeletons, ghasts, and blazes all shivered as the wave reached them.
"You feel that, brother?" Pythus walked into the room.
"Feel what?" Volcannus sat half sprawled on his bed.
"That wave. Someone, someone in the Nether sent out a distress signal."
"You should get some rest, Pythus." Volcannus plucked an apple from the basket on his bedside table. "You are imagining things."
Pythus stormed out of the room. As soon as he left, Volcannus began packing. "Come, Kiki." He patted the baby ghast. "Abbigail needs our help."