In the weeks that followed, Soren and Ezran kept their word as Callum hid within the secret passages of the castle reading through all of the books they had smuggled on his culture, hoping to not only learn about the life he should have had, but also possibly how to change forms. He had tremendous luck with the culture research, but was fruitless in the research on his transformations.
Anytime Harrow and Sarai would catch their youngest to question where his brother had disappeared to, the boy would always find an excuse to rush off or conveniently have his mouth stuffed full of jelly tarts.
Soren was no better. Anytime the king and queen or even his own father, Viren, would corner him to ask where Callum had disappeared to, the boy kept quiet. He would offhandedly mention passing by the missing prince or make an excuse of needing to train in order to become strong enough to one day become a Crownguard. His sister Claudia had gotten close to prying it out of him a couple of times when she was recruited into helping, but Soren stood firm and kept his mouth shut.
Not a single person knew where the eldest prince had run off to, having started questioning the citizens of Katolis, but to no avail.
During those weeks, Ezran and Bait would sneak all sorts of meals and treats into the secret passages for Callum. In those trips, he would update his brother on everything going on in the castle and in return Callum would explain all he had learned about his culture and family.
It wasn't until the next New Moon that something in Callum clicked like a switch being flipped.
~~~TDPMS~~~
Callum clung to the book on his family history, being cautious of his claws as he held it open on a set of pages that housed images of his family members, but there was one image he couldn't tear his gaze from.
It was of his parents.
They were in armor that looked to be covered in their own scales, both having smiles on their lips. Callum had read the description under the image, it was them when they were twenty-six years of age and they had just returned from a mission to free dragons. This had been drawn by his grandmother, Revna, as a way to preserve her children as the heroes they were for their kind.
A watery smile crept its way onto the hatchling's face as he ghosted his clawed hand over the image.
"I wish I got to be raised by you…I miss you so much Mom…Dad…" He whispered, his tail curling around himself as tears welled up in his eyes. "I-I'm so sorry…it's all my fault that you're gone…"
Callum clung the book to his chest and screwed his eyes shut as his body shuddered from the tears, his wings wrapping around his frame to create a type of cocoon. He cried for a good couple minutes before something ran through his mind from weeks before as he recalled that he had read that his siblings and grandmother were still alive.
"So…what will you do after all this research? I mean, you just learned that you're not even from here. I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if I just stayed put if I were in this kind of situation."
Callum's eyes widened as he thought over Soren's words, then thought about his siblings and grandmother. He glanced at the drawing of his parents once again as he steeled himself, his mind set on getting back to them. He nodded to himself and shut the book as he stood from the cushions in the secret nook and dashed down the tunnel towards his chambers.
When he reached the secret entrance to Ezran's half of their room, he banged his hand against the stones, hoping one of them would sink in to trigger the door. The dragon then jumped in surprise as the entrance opened to reveal that Ezran had pushed the switch on the other side with a concerned look.
"Are you otay Callum?" The boy asked as he looked his brother up and down with worry.
"I'm fine, Ez. I've got a plan." Callum said as he rushed into his half of their chambers, sifting through his belongings until he found his bag, then he began to stuff all the essentials he would need for the journey into it.
Ezran followed in confusion, which only grew when he watched the hatchling rushing about and throwing clothes and other things into his bag. "A plan?? What kind of plan? Why are you packing?"
Callum stopped and knelt down in front of his little brother, gripping the toddler's shoulders gently as they locked eyes. "I'm gonna go home."
Ezran's eyes widened as tears welled up in them, his little hands gripping tightly onto Callum's scaled ones. "Y-you're leaving?"
"I have to, Ez. It's not safe for me here right now..and..my family is still out there. I have to find them. But I promise you, I'll write to you and one day we'll see each other again."
"P-pinkie promise?" Ezran pleaded as he held out his hand with his pinkie raised.
Callum smiled softly and gripped Ezran's pinkie with his own with a nod. "Pinkie promise."
Ezran smiled back and nodded in return as the tears slowly started to dry up, confident that his brother would keep his word. As they separated so Callum could finish packing, there was a knock on the door leading to the hallway that made the boys freeze with wide eyes, fear coursing through their veins at who it could possibly be.
Ezran gulped as he went to his side of the room and opened the door as Callum slammed his door shut to keep from being seen. When the door was opened, Ezran peeked around the frame then sighed in relief when he noticed it was just Soren.
"Oh good..get in here." Ezran said as he stepped to the side and let Soren enter, closing the door behind them as the aspiring Crownguard turned to him with a smile.
"Heard you-know-who scurrying frantically through the passages like he was on a mission. Where is he anyway?" Soren asked as he looked around the room for signs of the young Night Fury.
At the sound of Soren's voice, the hatchling in question came out of hiding and came over with his bag, fully packed, a cage with a little messenger crow from the Crow Lord's tower cozied up on a little hammock within, and his sketchbook thrown across his shoulder thanks to the built-in strap, hidden under a cloak he had thrown on. The cloak was a deep red that looked more black than red and it was hooded with a built in scarf, the clip was a simple design of the iconic uneven towers of the castle that was the seal of Katolis. It was a birthday present alongside the little crow for his eighth birthday, and he figured this was the perfect time to put them to use.
"Soren..h-how did you know I was leaving?" Callum asked as he set his bag and the cage down.
"Just a hunch." Soren said with a small smirk. "Plus, I heard you running through the passages a little bit ago. Kinda figured you'd finally made up your mind."
Callum smiled with a small nod. "Yeah.."
Soren smiled sadly and hugged him. "Just promise you'll keep in touch, yeah?"
"Promise." Callum said as he hugged back then they separated. "But before I go…could you get me some rations from the kitchens? And you think you and Ez could clear an escape route for me?"
Soren and Ezran exchanged glances then smirked mischievously as they looked back at the dragon prince, nodding in determination.
"You got it."
~~~TDPMS~~~
With a plan set, and Callum having everything he needed for the journey, the trio set out through the castle. Anytime a guard or servant passed, they all clung to the shadows until the coast was clear.
Once they reached the main doors out to the courtyard, Callum made sure his tail was wrapped around his torso and folded his wings firmly against his back as he lifted the hood of his cloak and covered his mouth with the scarf. When his appearance was properly hidden, he nodded to the others and the three of them dashed out of the castle and through the courtyard towards the bridge.
To their surprise, they were able to reach the other side of the bridge without a single guard noticing them. The three boys looked at one another in shock, but that grew into excitement at their successful escape, all three high fiving and hugging in celebration at getting Callum out without being seen.
Callum clung to Ezran longer than he did Soren, not wanting to leave his little brother behind, but knowing he had to do this. Not just for himself, but his family as well.
"I love you so much Ez…I'm gonna miss you…" He whispered into the boy's shoulder, Ezran's grip tightening.
"I wove you, too Callum…and Imma miss you, too…promise me you'll write as often as you can..?"
"I promise Ez…you'll get loads of letters…"
"Good…I better…"
"Hate ta break this up, step-prince, but we gotta get back before everyone starts freaking out about both the princes missing." Soren said as he noticed torches heading up towards the princes' chambers.
Callum nodded as he stood and adjusted his bag, picking up the cage. "Right. Thank you. Just. Thank you, for everything. We'll meet again, I swear it."
"We'll hold you to that." Soren said with a nod, then he took Ezran's hand and they dashed back towards the castle.
Callum took a deep breath then turned on his heel and dashed in the opposite direction, his sights set on heading for the shores of Katolis near the Independent Isles.
~~~TDPMS~~~
In the days that followed Callum's escape, word of his disappearance spread far and wide. Many people grew worried at the fact that their prince just disappeared without a trace, not a single person having laid eyes on the boy in almost two months.
During that time, Queen Sarai had put out a notice of a reward for whoever could find her son and return him home.
~~~TDPMS~~~
Callum shivered slightly as he trekked across the outskirts of the beach towards a small port village. He wrapped his cloak firmly around himself as he was getting close to breaking through the tree line, pulling his hood up and lifting the scarf over his mouth to keep his draconic features hidden.
Once he was sure he was properly concealed, he dashed the rest of the way to the edge of the village, then slowed down to a walk once again. The village in and of itself was nothing major, just a tiny port with an inn and a few permanent residents that aided travelers who came from overseas to get their land legs back before continuing on.
It had taken the little prince almost a week to get there, having taken the off beaten path when he caught wind that there were search parties being sent out throughout the kingdom to find him.
Callum tugged on the sleeve of a man who was carrying a basket of fish, hoping to see if he could get some insight on who was in port. "Excuse me?"
The man looked down at the boy and smiled as he set the basket down. "Aye, what can I do for ya boyo?"
"I was wondering if there were any sailors in port from the Barbaric Archipelago?" Callum asked, hoping that there would be and this trip wasn't for nothing.
"As a matter o' fact there is! There be a man who came into port just last week. Heard he'll be sailin' back out later this afternoon. If ya hurry, ya may be able ta catch 'im."
Callum lit up at the news, glad to know his efforts were rewarded. "Thank you!"
The man nodded as the boy rushed off to find the man in question. Knowing the natives to the Archipelago, it would be simple to figure out who the man was just by his appearance. And just as Callum predicted, he spotted him immediately.
The man had long red hair that was streaked with gray in many areas, pulled back into a ponytail, a long bushy beard that was grayer than his hair and braided with many little trinkets dangling from the braids, his eyes were dulled from age but you could tell they had been a vibrant green in his youth, tattoos were noticeable around his eyes and on his arms, one of which was a list of names in Norse runes all struck through, his stature was slightly hunched as he made his way about his ship, a cane resting against the mast, which Callum assumed was there in case he ever needed it, and his attire was more casual sailor than Viking battle armor, a cream tunic, loose dark brown pants, and dark brown fur boots.
Even though he looked very old, Callum knew exactly who that man was. None other than Dagur the Deranged, former chief of the Berserker tribe and king of the Defenders of the Wing, husband of Queen Mala.
The hatchling took a deep breath, making sure the scarf and hood were still in place before he gathered the courage to approach his parents' old friend.
"Uhh..excuse me? A-are you Dagur?" Callum asked as he clutched the strap of his sketchbook nervously under his cloak, his tail tightening around his waist ever so slightly from nerves.
The Viking turned his attention to the boy and smiled wide. "As a matter of fact, I am! And who might you be? Not many people in this continent know that name."
Callum's grip tightened on the strap as he gulped, his nerves getting the better of him as he began to stutter. "Uh…I-I'm…um…"
Dagur raised a brow slightly as he turned to face Callum, putting his full attention on the prince and noticing just how nervous the lad had become.
"Why not come aboard to talk, lad? You look right exhausted. Been traveling for quite some time, I can tell. Come." Dagur said as he motioned for Callum to board, a reassuring smile on his lips.
Callum breathed deeply and nodded, boarding the ship and following Dagur below deck to talk. The elderly king ushered the boy to sit at the table, he himself sitting across from him.
"Now, what brings a lad like you all the way to a deranged old man like me, hm?" Dagur asked as he tilted his head to the side slightly, a brow raised in confusion.
Callum took a deep breath to calm his nerves, gathering the courage he needed to say what he had thought through the entire trek to the village.
"I need passage to New Berk, and from what I've gathered, you're the only one here that knows where it is." The dragon prince explained.
"New Berk, eh? Haven't been there in almost a decade. Not since…not since the late chief and chieftess' send off that is. Why in Odin's name do you want passage there, lad?"
Callum glanced around the room as he contemplated on just straight up telling the Viking before him who he is, or if showing him would be the better option. After noticing Dagur was growing suspicious, he opted to do both.
"M-my name is Callum." He said, hesitantly gripping his scarf and hood and pulling them down to reveal his face, a nervous smile on his lips. "I wanna go home to my family."
Dagur's eyes widened in shock, already spotting all too familiar features on the boy's face, and not just because of the scales. Flashes of memories went through the man's mind of a certain chief and chieftess, their appearances melding together before him into the boy sat across from him in a big dark red cloak.
"Odin's beard…you're alive!"
Callum bit his lip and nodded, having expected this type of reaction. "Yes..I washed up here when I was a baby and Queen Sarai took me in and raised me as her own. But now I know the truth and I wanna go home."
"By the gods..this is a miracle! Everyone thought you were dead!" Dagur exclaimed, not believing what he was hearing. "How is this even possible?! New Berk is weeks from here, how in the Nine Worlds did you survive?!"
"Luck, I guess?" Callum said, but it was more like a question than an answer, but something caught his attention at the man's reaction. "Wait…do…you not know why my parents died?"
Dagur looked at him confused, which just confirmed the hatchling's suspicions. "No, I don't. Most of the Archipelago doesn't. Some people from New Berk do, but never shared it with me. Why?"
Callum took a deep breath as he looked away from the Viking, fiddling with his cloak. "They died trying to come get me…"
"Wait what..?" Dagur asked with wide eyes. "How..?"
"A…a really bad storm hit when they were traveling here…and they got hurt really bad by it and drowned…" Callum explained, struggling to as he began to tear up just talking about it.
It was silent between them for a good couple minutes, Callum trying to keep himself from bawling his eyes out as tears escaped and hit the floor. The hatchling heard Dagur stand and make his way over to him, but he didn't look at the former Berserker. That is until Dagur knelt into his line of sight, a comforting and understanding look directed towards the boy as he rested his hand on his shoulder in a gentle grip.
"Now you listen here, and you listen well, little lost one. You are not to blame for their deaths. You were only a babe, and no one would ever have known that storm would come. Not even your parents, ya hear me? You are not to blame ." Dagur reassured him, emphasizing the last word to make sure he understood.
Callum's lip trembled as the man's words sank in and he nodded, not able to say anything in response in fear of breaking down into tears if he even tried to.
"And I'll remind ya as many times as it takes, lad." Dagur added, which made Callum's eyes widen.
"W-what..?"
Dagur smiled wide as he gripped both of Callum's shoulders. "Imma get ya home, little lost one. The least I could do for my late brother and sister after all they did for me in our youth. You can count on Ol' Dagur to get ya back to New Berk safe and sound, lad."
Callum teared up even more with a watery smile and tackled the old Viking into a tight hug, his tail coming out of hiding and swaying happily behind him. Dagur staggered at the impact, but he chuckled as he steadied himself and hugged the hatchling back, rubbing the boy's back between the wings hidden underneath the cloak.
"Thank you…thank you so much…"
~~~TDPMS~~~
The following morning, Callum was awoken to the sound of a distant bell that he had only heard one other time since becoming a prince, the day the late king Atticus was confirmed to have passed.
But who could it be for this time? Him?
The boy rose from his hammock that Dagur set up for him and grabbed his cloak and threw it on as he made his way above deck, his tail wrapping around his waist and wings folding against his back as he lifted his hood and scarf to look towards the capitol. Even from this distance, he could see the castle and still hear the bell tolling, dark banners waving from the flagpoles in mourning.
Callum jumped slightly as he heard the anchor being dropped onto the deck and he looked to see Dagur pulling in the gangplank.
"We're leaving already?" The hatchling asked as he hurried over and helped Dagur with lowering the sails, albeit with some difficulty.
"Aye, best to leave right as the sun's rising to give us as much daylight as possible. Why, did ya forget somethin' lad?" Dagur asked as he secured the rope then made his way to the helm and Callum followed his lead.
"N-no, just surprised we're leaving so soon."
Dagur smiled as he steered the ship away from the docks. "That bell toll was the perfect way to start the journey. Any ideas what it's for?"
Callum looked at the delicate waves as they left the port village behind, biting his lip nervously. "I-it's an indication of a member of the royal family passing…but…I'm not sure who it's for…"
Before any other words could be exchanged, a crow landed on the railing in front of the little prince and offered a scroll to him expectantly. Callum's eyes widened slightly as he gently took it from the bird and looked at the seal keeping the scroll shut, only for them to widen further when he recognized the royal seal within the wax.
Dagur glanced at him and raised a brow when he saw the scroll in the boy's little clawed hands.
"What's that you got there little lost one? A note?"
"Y-yeah…from the capitol…" Callum said, gulping as he nervously undid the seal and straightened out the parchment.
Dear Callum,
Mommy's gone. That big scary dragon at the border hurt her. I know you just left to find your family, but I really need you right now. Could you come back for Mommy's funeral? Bait and I could help you run away again after everything's better.
Ezran
As he read through the note, tears began to well up in his eyes at the news. His suspicions on the tolls being for him dissipating immediately as he read.
"No…"
"What is it? What's wrong?" Dagur asked as he saw a tear hit the deck.
"My–" Callum began to say, but when he remembered the last conversation they had months prior he growled under his breath and wiped away the tears. "No…not my mother…Queen Sarai's dead…she was killed by the King of Dragons at the border to Xadia…and Ezran's wanting to know if I'm gonna come back for the funeral ceremony…"
"Ezran?" Dagur asked with a raised brow.
"My little brother…or, I guess, step-brother…no no…he's my brother…"
"Well, do you wanna head back? I could stay in Katolis till you're ready." Dagur offered, but Callum shook his head as he rolled up the note once more and stashed it in his pocket.
"No. I've come this far already, I'm not turning back now. As much as I love Ezran, Queen Sarai raised me in a lie and lied to me my whole life. She kept me away from my family for long enough, I wanna go home." Callum decided as he steeled himself and watched the horizon as the last bit of land left his line of sight only to be replaced with the vast ocean.
~~~TDPMS~~~
Later that same day, Callum handed the same crow that brought him the note one of his own to take back to Ezran. Once he was sure the crow had a good grip on it, he let go of the parchment.
"Take this to Ezran." He said and the crow nodded a bit then took to the air once more and went back the way it came.
Callum watched it fly off, then released a heavy sigh as he made his way over to the helm where Dagur still stood, only glancing over at the boy for a second when he heard him approach before looking forward once again.
"Ya know, now that we're out at sea you don't need that cloak anymore lad. Just when we're docked at stops." He said with a small smirk.
Callum blushed in embarrassment and lowered his hood and scarf. "R-right…sorry…"
Dagur chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Ah, it's fine. I get it. So, whatcha say to your brother?"
"H-how did you know I wrote back?" Callum asked with wide eyes.
"Saw the crow take off with a new scroll. So? Whatcha say?"
"I…I told him that I wasn't going to make it…even if I wanted to, I'm too far away to get back to the castle in time…"
Dagur smiled softly and patted the boy on the shoulder gently. "At least you told him instead of never writing back, that's what matters."
Callum smiled sadly and nodded, then looked over the horizon. "So, how long do you think it'll take us to get there?"
"Well, adding a couple of stops to get our land legs back and restock on supplies when the time comes, I'd say in about two weeks time if the weather is on our side. But knowing Loki, we may have some storms we'll have to wait out. Time will tell, lad."
Callum nodded in understanding as he watched the waves that were ahead of them, eyes widening a bit when he caught a glimpse of something near the surface of the water, but before he could figure out what the creature was, it was gone.
~~~TDPMS~~~
Callum sat under the mast, leaning against the wood as he drew in his sketchbook, enjoying the evening air as Dagur fished. It had been a couple days since they departed Katolis, and they were currently anchored for the night before they trekked onwards to their next stop for supplies.
As the boy sketched, his stomach growled slightly and he winced as he bit his lip. He hadn't eaten anything since the day before he met Dagur, having run out of the rations that Soren was able to smuggle for him before fleeing from the castle.
Callum jumped in surprise as a fish was held in front of him. He glanced up to see that Dagur was offering it to him by the tail with a warm smile.
"Here. You need to eat somethin' little lost one. Haven't seen ya eat since we met. You must be starving."
Callum looked between the fish and Dagur a couple times as he slowly closed his sketchbook and sheathed his pencil, his eyes dilating in curiosity as his stomach growled again, but he hesitated when he realized the fish was freshly caught.
"Um…" The hatchling said, not sure if he should take it or not.
"Go on." Dagur said as he extended his reach further to make it easier for Callum to take the fish. "You're a Night Fury lad, you can eat fish raw. Your body's built for it."
"It is?" Callum asked with a raised brow.
"Well of course it is! All dragons can eat fish raw. Your siblings and grandma do, and so did your parents. Just try it, Callum. You might like it more than you think." Dagur said with a reassuring smile.
Callum smiled back slightly as he set his sketchbook to the side and hesitantly took the fish from the former Berserker then lifted it to his face slowly and sniffed it experimentally. He had to admit, it did smell good, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was starving or because he was a dragon. His stomach growled again and he slowly took a bite out of the side, chewing slowly as he tried to figure out if he liked the texture or not.
Once he swallowed, his stomach immediately began to churn in disagreement. Callum whined softly as his tail curled in discomfort and he tossed the fish away as he clutched his stomach with one arm.
Dagur bit his lip in a wince. "Bad fish?"
Before the hatchling could respond, he darted up and ran to the side of the ship and proceeded to expel his insides.
"I'll take that as a yes."
~~~TDPMS~~~