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Visions & Prophecies

Visions & Prophecies - Nix x Sunny

Summary: Bren and Lydia return to the Dragon Barony. But Nix worries about where her brother’s love for Quinn could take them. And the Badlands.

Co-Creator - @themerriweathermage

Meraxes didn’t come home with Sunny and Lydia. And considering they weren’t covered in ash, I knew she didn’t burn Quinn to the ground. Pity.

But I also knew that Meraxes not being home meant Bren wasn’t. I had given her strict instructions not to let Bren out of her sight. Which meant only one thing. He had stayed in the Armadillo territory to speak to Waldo.

I wasn’t given the chance to find this out. As Sunny and Lydia walked up the stairs to the mansion, I could see they had a guest with them. The two parted so I could see the man with hair almost as red as flames walk up the steps. Lydia stopped at my side and turned towards the man.

“Baroness, this is Sebastian. He was my former guard back in Quinn’s territory.”

I nodded my head. “I thought he looked familiar. Welcome, Sebastian. I’m Nix. May I ask what brought you to my door?”

“Your brother extended an invitation.”

Of course. We trusted Lydia so anyone she trusted, Bren would want to get the measure of. Lydia didn’t really need her own guard here, not with Meraxes on the lands. So it made me wonder what position Bren saw him fit for.

“Well, for the most part, my brother has good judgment when inviting people into our barony,” no one missed the double meaning of my statement. “Come inside and take a tour. Dinner will be ready shortly.”

At those words, Sunny got a huge smile on his face. “Roast?”

“Duck this time. And those rolls you love.”

He bent down to give me a kiss. “The perfect way to return home. Let me clean up and I’ll be down to help.”

After Sunny left, I turned towards Lydia. She sighed and only said one phrase:

“He tried.”

I nodded my head and Lydia left as well, leaving me with our guest. “Sarah, could you have a guest room prepared? Lydia’s old guard, Sebastian will be staying with us for now.”

“Yes, Baroness.”

I jerked my head back towards the kitchen, “care for a drink?”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “You keep booze in the kitchen?”

“Not normally, but I like to have a glass or two when I’m cooking. It’s a damn good scotch from Rojas.”

He perked up at my words. “You were cooking?”

“Yes, though the idea seems to surprise you.”

“Sunny told me you were in charge of the military here in the barony.”

I laughed as we entered the room, the smell of roast duck growing stronger. “Yes, I am. But my first love was cooking. No need to stop that now. Especially, since I use it to lessen my stress levels.”

Sebastian took the offered glass, measuring me as I walked around the island to finish pureeing the potatoes. “So, you’re the woman who was able to tame Sunny. It makes so much sense now.”

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. “Tame Sunny? You make him seem like a wild animal.”

“No, I guess he’s not. That would be more,” he cleared his throat, “other men.”

I snorted at that. “I prefer the phrase ‘rabid bear’, in regards to other men . But seriously, you make it seem as if Sunny wasn’t-”

“Human? In some ways, he wasn’t. Becoming a regent - especially Quinn’s regent - requires you to let go of pieces of your humanity. Sunny was no different in that regard. We all figured it would take a lot to make Sunny break his loyalty. Waldo knew it would be a woman, but we all suspected it would be someone…”

He seemed embarrassed to continue so I finished the thought for him. “Softer? The exact opposite of him?”

“Um, well…”

“It’s ok. Between overseeing the Clippers, being a dragon rider, and what I did to Quinn’s poppies, it’s easy to see how others could either be afraid of me or think me too rough. Bren and I each had our fair share of trauma before we came to the Badlands, and it molded us in different ways. It made Bren the diplomat - as you saw at the Summit - and it made me-”

“The Dragon Lady?”

“More so a fighter. I didn’t become the dragon rider until after Bren took this barony. And that is a confusing story on its own. One we may share at a later date.”

Just then, Sunny came in with Sarah right behind him. I wondered where Lydia could be but I caught a look from Sunny that told me she was still digesting part of the Summit. I would have to go to her later to find out what was on her mind.

Sunny stopped by my side, grabbed my hand, and couldn’t meet my eyes. “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring Bren home. I wanted to use Meraxes, but-”

For him to be this vulnerable in front of others told me just how upset he was at failing me. I pulled him into a hug. “He clearly needed to talk to Waldo. Meraxes is still with him. He will be safe.”

He held me a moment longer before turning to help make the salad. I poured him a glass and handed to him silently. The kitchen was quiet as Sunny, Sarah, and I worked on dinner while Sebastian looked on, drinking. As I pulled the duck out, I paused, tilting my head slightly towards the sky.

“Bren is home.”

“How-” but Sebastian didn’t finish his sentence before Meraxes’ roar announced her arrival.

“She was instructed not to leave his side.”

As I left the room, I heard Sunny quietly speak to Sebastian.

“There is no way to explain the bond. We just go with it.”

In the hall, I watched Bren practically drag himself inside. He looked beyond drained and I knew the magic was taking a toll on him. How much longer until it killed him?

He looked up at me and I knew the Summit had been both a success and a failure. But what surprised me, was the fear in Bren’s eyes. Something had happened out there.

I moved aside so Sarah could take him to his room and give him food that would work with his stomach better than what I was cooking. And instead of heading back to the kitchen, I went to the office.

Where I found Lydia sitting at her desk, but not working. She looked…distraught.

“I’m guessing the Summit went smoothly,” my voice dripped with sarcasm.

Lydia sighed. “He took Bren’s plans. Whether or not he uses them…”

“Is neither here nor there. His days are numbered.”

“You always thought this was a useless plan.”

I sighed. “Not so much useless as, well, I was going to say futile but that’s basically the same thing. No, I don’t want innocent people suffering. But I think it would be far faster and more beneficial to rid them of their baron completely.”

Lydia nodded her head. “We all believe that. But Bren-”

“I know. He has a soft spot for that asshat.”

“It’s more than that. He…he saw something. I thought it was a nightmare, but it seems to be more than that.”

“Visions,” I breathed. “He had a vision.”

Lydia looked up at me from behind her desk. “Do- do you get visions?”

“Not in the way that Bren does. His magic and mine are different.”

“You have magic?”

I gave a small smile. “How else would you explain the bond with Meraxes? As for visions, I know of a type of magic I could use. Not sure if I would see exactly what Bren had, but it may give me a clue.”

“Would you…”

“No, I won’t do it here or now. I’ll check on Bren first. And then, I’ll take Meraxes somewhere safe to see if it’s possible for me to conduct this type of magic.”

But Bren was locked away in his room, only allowing Lydia and Veil see him. Whatever rattled him clearly involved me so it looked like I would be conducting this spell sooner than I had anticipated.

I gave Lydia instructions on what to do until I returned, hoping to only be gone one night. After packing a small bag, I found Sunny in the parlor with Sebastian. While he was engaged in the conversation, I could see he was worried. And it all flooded to the surface once he laid eyes on me.

“Nix,” he lept out of his chair and gently grabbed my upper arms. “You didn’t come to dinner.”

I knew what he was really asking, so I spoke to him in Dothraki. “Whatever Bren saw, it has shaken him to the point he won’t speak to me.”

He responded in kind. “What will you do?”

“Head to the mountain town. Our gifts came from those same mountains and they have always made Bren uneasy. I may find my answer there.”

“I should come with you.”

I shook my head. “We have a visitor that is sworn to no one. Lydia may trust him, but even still. With Bren in this state, you and Lydia are in charge of the barony in my stead. I will return by dawn.”

He took my hand and kissed the ring I had made. “Till then.”

I heard him quietly explain the language to Sebastian as I left the manor, heading to my dragon that knew to wait by the gate. She waited patiently as I packed a compartment and then climb up her wing.

Once at the encampment, I gave her instructions to return to the barony and fetch Sunny if at any time I seemed I was in trouble. Meraxes grumbled but seemed to agree.

I walked through the city Lydia had built for Bren, marveling at how quickly people had put up permanent fixtures. It wouldn’t have mattered if we had wanted this to be temporary; the people had spoken otherwise.

There was something about this mountain range that called to me. Ever since I found Meraxes, I came here long before Bren had the train up and running. But now, with the city, it didn’t seem as private. But still, I felt the call. So where better to try this spell?

Yeah, the odds of it working were very slim. The only magic I possessed was whatever linked Meraxes to me. But it couldn’t hurt to try.

At the edge of the encampment, I built a firepit and pulled out a lighter.

The first place I went, after I saw the visions, was to the Armadillo territory. I landed Meraxes right outside the gates to the Fort and didn’t even bother giving Quinn a glance as I marched to the barracks. I didn’t even bother taking my helmet off. But Quinn’s ego wouldn’t allow anyone to ignore him. Even someone he hated.

“Hey!”

I walked right through the gates and past him.

Which he didn’t take well. He grabbed my arm. Hard.

“Don’t think you can ignore me. This isn’t your fucking barony.”

I looked at his hand and then up at his face. “Is this how you want to die? Attempting to make me give a fuck about your opinion?”

Meraxes growled and slowly put her head through the gate.

“Is this how you wish to destroy your brother?” Quinn countered. “By having us both die in a fiery blaze?”

“Only one of us would die.”

His grip tightened. “I have no intention of letting go.”

“Oh, I know. But out of the two of us, who is dressed in fireproof clothing?”

Quinn stopped and took in my look, seeing that I was in my flight suit. “This outfit…”

“Meraxes could bathe us in fire right this instant, and only one of us would walk away.” I leaned in. “Fire cannot kill a dragon.”

My words shook him to the core and he dropped his hand.

“And one more thing: the next time you lay a hand on me will be the last time you have hands.”

Meraxes roared in agreement. Quinn dropped to the ground, covering his ears at the close proximity of the noise while my helmet protected me. I stepped over him and continued to Waldo’s barrack.

“I thought I told you not to come back until you sorted yourself out!” Waldo growled as he turned towards the door. “Oh. Well, this is unexpected.”

I closed the door before pulling off my helmet. “By your anger, you either got into another fight with Quinn, or Bren’s visit after the summit went swimmingly.”

Waldo scowled. “Your brother needs his heart removed. Figuratively speaking.”

“If we did that…who do you think would keep me in check?” I took a seat at his table. “I have a dragon, Waldo. Do you know how easy it would be to burn down every barony and take it all? Turn it all over to the Cogs? Just me and Meraxes could probably do it in a month. If I had truly loyal warriors with me, less than that. I hate this place. I hate the baronies. I hate the divide. I hate the class system and the violence. And I fucking hate the game.”

“Then why do you stay?”

“You know why. It’s the same reason why you haven’t killed Quinn.”

“Are you actually here to plead Quinn’s case on Bren’s behalf?”

I snorted. “Sure, just as soon as I sprout my own wings. I came to…change the future.”

Waldo raised an eyebrow. “So Bren told you his visions?”

“No. I- I asked for help from a deity. One that wasn’t from this world. I saw what he saw and Bren’s right, we can’t let that happen. Even if I could get on Meraxes fast enough to try to outrun my brother’s new form, he and I will both lose our other halves. And if I go Targaryen…”

“So what? You just want me to keep serving that moron?!”

“Oh, for fuck sake Waldo! Did you hit your head and forget who the fuck I am?! We’re not idiots. We know Quinn’s time is limited. When you take the barony, I only want one thing. I want him exiled.”

“That’s what I plan-”

“Beyond the Badlands,” I interrupted.

Waldo’s jaw dropped slightly.

“We can’t kill him because of what it will do to Bren. But I can’t have him roaming freely all over the Badlands, either to make a pact with Juliet or Broadmore or try to weasel his way into my barony by playing to Bren’s sympathy. I want him gone.”

Waldo stared at me for several minutes. “You’re a cold-hearted bitch.”

“You say that as if I didn’t know.”

“Banishment beyond the wall. You may as well kill Quinn. It’d be quicker.”

“As much as I would rather lick a sandpaper-covered cactus that admit this, you and I both know it would take a lot to kill Quinn once he gets out of his own damn way. He could easily survive beyond the wall.”

“And make his way back here.”

“And if - and this is a huge if - he manages to do that, all that time starving and surviving may actually put things into perspective.”

“Or make you and I his main targets.”

“Then we’ll at least know you can’t change the future if that happens.”

I didn’t tell Bren where I had gone or what Waldo had promised me. I don’t even know if he knew I had left. Yeah, I had been gone almost two days, but the summit had clearly taken a lot out of Bren.

Still, part of me expected to see Bren’s face when I opened the office door. Only to find Lydia sitting at my desk.

“Forgive me, Baroness. Your chair is more comfortable than mine.”

I smiled. “No forgiveness needed. I’ve had chronic pain in regard to my knees and lower back for as long as I can remember. Sunny had that specially made for me. I can always have another made for you if you wish.”

“No, thank you. I do love my chair. I just…”

I could see it in her eyes and finished her sentence. “Needed a soft spot after kneeling by Bren’s bed?”

Lydia sighed. “May I ask you a question, Nix?”

“Of course. Any time you need, anything you wish to know, you can ask.”

“Bren…Bren was very weak on the travel home. And he…”

I could see her hesitate so I took the seat next to her. The one that only Sunny ever occupied. I gently reached out and took her hand.

“Whatever happened out there, I know you and Sunny did what you could to keep Quinn at bay so Bren wouldn’t be tempted. I won’t fault you if he was able to sneak past everyone.”

Lydia gave a tired smirk. “He couldn’t sneak past Meraxes. Quinn tried his best to cut through our Clippers, only to be met with a metal wing.”

I snorted. “What a moron. What did you want to ask me?”

Lydia sighed again. “When he was in and out of consciousness, he…he called me mom.”

Well, this was not the direction I thought this conversion would go. “And you want to know why?”

She nodded her head.

It was my turn to sigh. “As you know, Bren and I aren’t really siblings. But I do know about his life before…” I cleared my throat. “It’s not surprising he would call you mom. I have no doubt you remind him of all the good things his mom stood for. All the ways she would guide and support him. You are our regent, but also-”

I stopped when I realized what I was about to say. Lydia raised her eyebrows.

“But also?”

I rubbed my hand over my mouth. “Ah hell. But also, you are very much like a mom to us.”

Her eyes got wide. “Nix?”

“Ah hell,” I muttered again. “For Bren, you’re all the positive memories he has of his mother. For me…you’re what I wish my mom was. The mom I needed growing up.”

Now her eyes were watering. “Oh, Nix. I- I never knew.”

I lowered my eyes. “No one outside of Bren and Sunny knows. I- I don’t find much point in talking about my past. Not if I need to keep myself together to run this barony. Someone needs to be strong for Bren.”

“But who is strong for you?”

I looked up at her sheepishly. “You and Sunny. You help keep Bren and me from doing anything too stupid…by Badlands standards anyway. I know Bren wants to be strong for me, but he has so much going on as it is. I never want to add to his plate.”

"Then you will get overloaded."

"I was the oldest in my family. It's my job to protect."

She smiled and stood up, holding out her arms. I stood and embraced her.

“Then let me protect you. Nix, I am happy to be your surrogate mother. You and Bren.”

“Thank you, Lydia.”

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#into the badlands #Welcome to the Badlands Series #sunny x original female character #itbsunny #itbquinn #Waldo #visions & prophecies

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