Apollo looked Adam in the eye, his eyes forming into those of his griffon. The large slits of his eyes narrowed horizontally, picking up Adam's heart rate and flushed skin. Adam, on the outside, remained stoic, his body language showing he was the Alpha Dragon of this Tribe. On the inside, he was crumbling.

Warriors growled out, some holding spears, while others shifted. "You killed 'ya mother and 'ya fathar, killed an entire tribe because of yar greed." Apollo's finger pointed at Adam. "An entire tribe wiped out because of tha black magic laced with blood of dragons," he hissed. Yer a traditor to yer kind!"

Adam had worked hard to keep up the façade of a caring Alpha status with the rest of the tribe. He made sure the dragons were fed; the women were taken care of, and they flourished. Most of all, he had the warriors eating out of his hand the way he would reward them with gold and precious stones. As long as he had his warriors, he would remain unstoppable.

Adam glanced at the crowd, looking for the Elders. They were the holders of the memory powder that could wipe the entire tribe clean of the truth. Of course, they would back away from the danger. They had always been cowards, thinking only about themselves and not that of the tribe. They only wanted to get magic back, to begin with,, and now it looks like they had lost it indefinitely.

The warriors gathered around Adam while he flexed his arm muscles, the red scales rolled down his skin, his nose breathing black smoke into the air. "Is that right, old Griffin? You really think you could take on all of us?"

Apollo snorted, his feathers ruffling down his spine. "I'm 'ure I'll have sum 'elp." Creed stepped forward, Adam now noticing that the scar he had placed on his face and neck was wiped away. Creed's face now showed emotion, his eyebrows set in a stiff position of anger. Warriors pointed, wondering why Creed's disturbing appearance was now that of a strong, magnificent dragon-shifter.

"And me," Creed spoke, putting his hand on his father's shoulder. The women gasp, holding their children tight. He was no longer the monster they saw him to be. The scars were gone. His face was that of a handsome, rugged warrior. Several younger women of their mother's species gawked with their mouths hanging open. How could they have missed such a handsome man?

The Warriors grumbled to themselves, "wasn't he deemed unworthy of having a mate? What is this?" they all motioned to his marked shoulder. Adam's fist coiled, his claws seeping into his palm. He was running out of lies, out of the deceptions he relied on all his life. He needed that memory powder.

"I have found my mate," Creed growled out to the crowd. "The bond we shared has healed not only my appearance but my voice as well. Are you ready to listen to the silent dragon who stayed hidden in the shadows all these years?" The crowd shuffled their feet. Creed's voice was that of an alpha, a powerful aura leaked from his body, beckoning them to listen.

"Adam killed Alpha Kaldran and Alpha Ondi who were wrongfully paired by black magic." Creed's feet led him to the center of the crowd, to make sure his powerful words would be heard. They parted, letting him through, listening to the beautiful dragon speaking words of truth and power that fell from his lips. "He led us to believe that there was another female dragon, which there was not. Adam knew I would patrol the portal that day before the attack. He orchestrated a smaller tribe to attack ours, again using not only black magic, but black magic laced with dragon's blood, making it far too powerful for dragons to handle."

The crowd continued to deliberate amongst themselves, arguing if Creed could be right. Adam saw the strong wall of defense slipping away from him. He dug into his loincloth pocket, praying he had some of the memory powder left from previous uses. There was some. He chuckled internally as Creed continued his banter.

Growls were heard at the back of the crowd. Wolves had the tribe completely surrounded. Some wolves herded women and children away from the crowd to keep them separate from the fight that would soon begin. Women screamed, but the wolves were gentle, persistent, and moved them out of harm's way.

"Not only was my mother not raped," Creed spoke in a roaring voice. His newly healed vocal cords screamed at him not to use them so freely in the listening ears of the tribe. Clearing his throat, he walked to the elders, who were pushed to the front by several wolf shifters, two of them being Alpha Seth and Princess Sadie.

Alpha Seth stood in his half-shifted form. Standing at seven feet tall, he stood on his hind legs, his claws holding two elders while Sadie, the smallest wolf he had ever seen, nipped at the heals of three others. "These elders interrupted a mating bond between my parents, Ondi the Alpha dragon and Apollo Alpha of the griffins. I am the product of their almost-mating."

Creed shifted, the black plumes of smoke quickly flew around the tribe, everyone stepping back, hearing the mighty roar of Creed. "Are my feathers not proof enough?" his dragon spoke. "My talons on my wings, the blackness of my body not show proof that I am part griffin?"

"He is telling the truth!" Two warriors came forward, walking with spears in hand. "We spoke to Amora. Everything Alpha Creed says is true!" Adam growled, loudly. Alpha Amora and Nicholas' bond smells stronger than it ever did with Adam!" "You dare call him alpha?! The roof I put over your heads, the food I have put in your mouths, we are the most flourishing dragon tribe of the mountains, and you dare question everything I have done?"

"The elders kept Creed's parents apart. You are the reason Alphas Kaldran and Ondi are dead. You tried to keep Creed away from his mate," Amora's dragon walked forward, Nicholas, who had also shifted, did not leave her side. "But don't you see?" Amora's eyes softened before they hardened again. "True love conquers all. Black magic can be broken with a bond strong enough."

Adam's anger radiated. He glanced at the only friend he thought he had left, Alpha Seth, of the Warrior Pack of werewolves. Seth only looked away, dismissing the dragon he once saw as a friend. The fun times together running the plains, killing rogues, the long evenings they spent talking about finding their mates all for nothing. Those comforting words Adam promised him he would find his mate were all a ploy for Adam to solidify powerful alliances in Bergarian. "It will not end like this! If I can't be successful, you can't either!" Adam roared. He reached into his pocket, slinging the dust into Creed's eyes. Amora screamed, being pulled back by Nicholas. Adam laughed maniacally as he reached the elders, ripping the bags of memory powder from their clothes. Seth immediately pushed Adam back, he fell to the ground, unable to grab the memory powder. Sadie jumped, clawed her way to the throat of one elder, pulling out their windpipe. Blood poured on the ground, the other wolves howling in victory, watching their leaders give justice.

Seth stood up, his back straight, staring down at Adam on his back. Seeing that Adam would not come forward to fight him, he slung his claw and slit three more elders across their throats. The memory bags were picked up by Marco, Seth's Beta, and they ran from the tribe to take them to the king and queen of the Moon Kingdom.

Both Sadie and Seth were not finished with the elders. They clawed out their hearts, leaving them to beat on the ground for a few moments before finally stopping. Wolves surrounded, finishing the bodies, their thirst for blood scattered the pieces until it all lay in a bloody mess on the now red-tinted snow. The pieces that were salvageable were taken to the bonfire in the middle of the tribe. The sizzle of their flesh burning made Sadie wince.

Apollo reached for Adam, his talons stuck into his chest. Adam ripped out his talons, now punching Apollo in the face. Plumes of smoke engulfed the entire area. Dragons and wolves took the women who were not warriors and children away into their homes. Many kids screamed, screamed not for Adam to save them, but for Creed. Creed, still disoriented, shook his head at the white smoke that filled his burning nostrils.

Apollo and Adam had fully shifted, their claws ripping at each other's throats. Nicholas joined in on the fight once Amora was pushed to the side of the clearing. Adam, still having consumed black magic just this morning, could withstand it on his own. He rolled on the ground like a crocodile ripping his prey in two, taking along Apollo, his feathers falling off his body.

Sadie stood by Amora, who watched intently. Her heart pounded, begged for her small tribe of dragons to win this fight. Sadie's calming Arua held Amora together just enough to keep her stable. Seth wanted to intervene, but this was the fight for the title of the tribe. Caspian, his wolf, continued to grumble and complain. What an amazing feat it would be to fight an Alpha Dragon to the death. Seth stood back, waiting. If Adam survived, he would be swiftly dealt with, just like the elder's lifeless remains that burned in the fire.

Apollo, still weak, faltered, his hind legs not as strong as they once were buckled, finally falling backward. Nicholas pushed back Adam with the brunt of his horns snapping his powerful jaws at the front forelegs. Nicholas was quickly thrown off, the black magic making Adam's power two times greater than normal. Adam, knowing that Apollo was Creed's father, would make it doubly sweet to have both of his parents killed by his own doing. Adam pounced forward, now having a clear shot at Apollo, raised his head for the final blow to break his neck until Creed came barreling in his dragon form, pushing Adam into a pile of snow.

Creed's dragon put him in a battle stance, his tail swaying back and forth, black feathers being blown in the wind. A large burst of fire went towards Adam, searing the tops of his wings from being able to fly comfortably. Creed's massive dragon was several heads taller than that of his enemy. His dragon smirked, thinking how easy it would be to break him and now having Creed's permission.

Adam shook off the ash from his broken wings, snapping his jaws with venom dripping down his teeth. Adam took the first lunge, digging his teeth into Creed's back, he roared out, wrapping his long neck around to take a bite out of Adam's red scales.

Creed pulled at Adam's neck, pulling so hard, scales dropped into the dirtied snow. Adam whimpered but did not surrender. The fire burned in Adam's chest again, ready to release his own flame. He turned his back. A risky move to expose your dragon belly, but it was the only choice Adam had. Head rearing back, buried in the snow underneath his tongue, his igniting fluid sprayed before his fire could leave his mouth. Creed took this as the opportunity to release his own fire, pushing the fluid back into Adam's mouth. Creed's fire erupted inside of Adam, leaking down his esophagus.

Closing his mouth, Adam felt not his own fire, but that of Creeds. It burned him down to his belly, causing it to expand within him. Creed jumped off of the red dragon's body, he moved away slowly, watching Adam's every move. Adam's red dragon rolled on the ground in pain. He knocked over tents, cooking supplies and came too close to the crowd of onlookers. Warriors no longer crowded around him, sparking no cheers or uplifting comments to help their alpha dragon. They now looked to Creed, who was breathing heavily, watching Adam whither in pain.

Adam's dragon shifted back into human form, no longer able to hold it. Adam cried out, his voice still maintaining his dragon's voice.

"No!" he growled out, his skin becoming dark from within. The outside of his body now covered in dark crusted flakes. "Amora!!" he cried out. Adam's hand was outstretched to her, begging for some sort of comfort. She gripped onto Nicholas. They both had shifted back into human forms, seeking the comfort of each other. Amora didn't even look at Adam, her heart squeezed in her chest. She cared about her childhood friend, but that was all over now. He had ripped every part of her, not just her body, but her spirit as well. It would take her many years for Nicholas to cover up her emotional scars.

"Don't leave me," Amora whispered. Nicholas wanted one last go at the dragon, who kept his mate from him for so long, who raped, and kept her for himself. Nicholas held onto Amora, her tears running down his chest.

"I'll never leave you, not in a million moon cycles." Nicholas and Amora held onto each other until the screams fell between small cries and a whimper.

Creed's dragon shifted back to his human form. He now stood over Adam, whose eyes could no longer blink. The fire burned up all the moisture in his body, now leaving him nothing but a hollow husk. Adam's eyes looked into Creed's. No words were exchanged until Adam's last breath breathed out nothing but his black smoke, eyes wide with no lids to cover them.

The crowd was now silent. They gather to see their former Alpha, burned and charred. The smell was revolting, causing several children to run into the woods to relieve their stomachs. Creed turned away, his fists clenched, then loosening to look in the palm of his hands.

"You did it," Apollo limped to his son. His hind legs were healing fast, but it was evident that Apollo still needed rest and care from his days trying to die slowly in the mountains. "I'm proud of you, Creed." Creed's dragon purred, but Creed himself wasn't sure why.

"Who are you?" Creed's brows furrowed. He grabbed his throat, wondering why he could suddenly speak. His hands touched his throat, fingers trailing down his face. "I'm healed?"

"Oh god,” Amora ran to him, touching his chest. "Do you not remember? Do you remember Odessa?" Creed's dragon grew excited, but Creed could not understand.

"Odessa? Who is that? Why can I talk?" Creed moved his face in ways he couldn't have done before. Amora only frowned, biting her lip.

Sadie, now wearing an enormous shirt over her body, ran to the small group forming around the remnants of Adam. "Did he forget?" Sadie's concern now had the entire group murmuring what to do. Apollo grabbed Creed by the shoulders. "I am yer father! Do ye not remember?! We jus' met this marnin'! We came here to avenge yer mother. Ya did it, ya killed Adam!"

"I know I killed him," Creed spoke, now looking at the body. "He was trying to kill someone innocent. That is why I attacked. I didn't mean to kill him. I just wanted to help you. I promised her, I promised her I wouldn't hurt him." Creed's dragon retaliated, not like what he was saying. He rubbed his chest, trying to calm his beast, but he couldn't understand what was happening to him. The beast within his body was restless, moving and pulling him away from the crowd, to what he wasn't sure.

The wind above them stirred, causing the snow to blow away from them. Large pearl-colored wings moved the falling snow in swirls as the magnificent she-dragon landed in the wide-open clearing a few yards away. Her purple scales illuminated brightly against the white snow.

"Ondi?" Apollo glanced at the radiant scales of the dragon. It looked just like his mate from afar, but unfortunately, he realized this dragon was not calling to him, but to his son.

Creed looked at her, finding her the most beautiful dragon he had ever seen. Her head looked around the encampment, the purple smoke covering her entire body until a small woman tripped into the snow, falling to her knees. "I can't get rid of this." Sadie's hand had touched Creed's arm, trying to access his damage. I can't heal magic, only wounds." Amora cursed under her breath, but Creed took no mind to either of them. He stepped away, walking to the girl with dark curled hair, braids on either side of her head, decorated with beads and metal clippings. He had seen his mother wear the same hairstyle so long ago.

The dress was plain, but it suited her. Her round face, the buttoned nose had him entranced, not to mention those beautiful, amethyst eyes that laid on him. They were otherworldly, the way she blinked her full lashes toward him. Creed had seen these eyes before, but he knew not where. Maybe they were from a long-lost dream.

Once Odessa's eyes met his, her smile grew wide. He was alright, and he was still breathing and standing. Odessa ran straight towards her mate. She flung her arms out wide and all Creed could do was do the same. He picked her up, twirled her around. It felt right, the touch of her skin, the bounce of her hair. Everything was right in the world, except he did not know who this woman was, but it made him happy that she would run to him. A scary dragon like him. "What is your name?" He whispered as he smiled. Putting her feet back into the snow, ever so gently, Odessa looked up at him, tears already springing to her eyes. "What?" she whispered. Odessa was beside herself, she couldn't understand. He promised he would never forget her. Her sad smile was forced onto her face, her hand touching the side of his cheek. Automatically, Creed leaned into her touch, not knowing what his body was doing.

"I'm Odessa, your Fawn." Creed looked at her, his eyes blinking long and wide. His dragon purred violently in his chest, upset that his human could not remember. His chest hurt, the feeling inside him making him feel unstable. He swayed until Odessa caught him. The tingles rushed up to his arm this time, causing a shock to his brain. Her citrus smell had him inhaling deeply, the curve of her body, the gentleness of her touch, they all seemed so familiar, but where?

Odessa couldn't wait any longer. True love heals everything, right? She thought to herself. All the fairytales say so, and wasn't she living in one? Tugging at his braids, Creed lowered his body as Odessa cupped his face with both hands, placing her pretty pink lips on his.