Hey guys, what's up? Saiba here. So, surprise surprise, I'm not dead. Yet. I know I haven't posted anything in something like two years, but it's whatever. I hate to start something and not finish; especially after reading through some of my stories and realizing they were actually written OK. Also, I'm going to COLLEGE in the fall! Purdue baby! Woot! So I've decided to get back to working on them, but I'm only going to work on one at a time. I'm also not going to begin any new ones until I finish at LEAST this one, unless it's something like a fluffy-wuffy OTPKLING oneshot because fuck you, a dude needs his mindless romance.

Note: I edited the first two chapters I posted on this story for plot and general flow reasons.

Luck is a strange thing.

It, like many other concepts, remains irrational in nature, bestowing itself generously on the few, scantily on the many, and not at all on the cursed. It knows nothing of emotion, but is cruel and uncaring, minding not whether the being who receives it is either righteous or devilish.

Yet, most don't think about the dark side of luck. They dream about being born a prodigy, or earning a lot of money, or finding out they have superpowers.

They all dream. But no one ever worries about being born into a nightmare.

"M-mum... where are we g-going?"

An older Sandwing glanced down at the young dragon in her arms, as she hurriedly flew across the desert sand.

"The only place I know to take you, Khepri. The doctor didn't know how to help you, nobody knew how to help you... I'm sorry, little scorpion, but this is our only hope. I'm sorry I can't do better, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

The younger Sandwing glanced weakly up at his mother as she began to cry. He was sickly and pale, his tailing lolling at his side, and barely had enough strength to grasp her hand. Her eyes met his own warm brown ones, and he searched for her talons, slowly wrapping his own around them.

"M-mum, what's… h-happening to me? I-it doesn't hurt, b-but I feel s-so… cold…" Then his claws slid back into his lap, and his eyes glossed over. His mother gasped, before setting her brow in determination. "Hang in there, Khepri," she whispered, hugging her son. "I won't let you go. I won't."

It wasn't long before she reached her intended destination. It was a small shrine out in the middle of the desert, surrounded by dunes as far as the eye could see. Spears stood like sentinels, guarding the ground around it, and were decorated by symbol-clad flags, which hung limply in the dry air. Few knew about it; That was not so surprising. The Scorpion Den was at least a hundred miles away.

Khepri's mother touched down just outside the perimeter of the shrine. She glanced around warily, looking for anyone who might have followed her. Then her eyes came to rest on the stone altar in the center of the shrine.

A chill ran down her back. The desert was calm tonight; only the shining orb of the moon accompanied the peacefulness of the twilight-lit scenery. And yet, her mind was screaming for her to leave.

'This is going up against everything we've ever been taught,' she thought grimly. 'But... I've come this far. I can't let Khepri down.'

She paced slowly up to the altar, stroking Khepri's forehead. Then, she laid him down on his side on the stone. If it weren't for the strained rise and fall of his chest, he would have looked as if he were dead.

'But he's not... yet.'

Taking a step back, she craned her neck to look at the moon. Then, she recited the ancient verse that had become so important to her recently.

"Spirits of the ageless sands,

Keepers of power ancient and grand,

I command to you, by divine decree,

By gods' might, appear to me!"

For several minutes, nothing happened. "H-hello?" Khepri's mother called, tightening her grip on the blue shawl around her neck.

Suddenly, the flags began to flap.

A breeze appeared, gentle at first, but it soon grew violent. Sand was tossed into the air as the wind started ripping around the shrine. Strangely enough, it rotated in a cyclone, and the wall of dust grew until Khepri's mother was unable to see the surrounding area, and the moon was blotted out.

The sand pounded against the Sandwing's scales, and multiple grains managed to crawl their way into her eyes and mouth, no matter how hard she clamped them shut. "Khepri!" She whipped her head side to side, trying desperately to see her son through the tornado. "Khep-" she tried to call again, but she choked as the sand filled her lungs.

'DO NOT FRET. YOUR SON IS FINE.'

The Sandwing froze, and her eyes widened. She could have sworn she heard a voice.

'THAT WOULD BE ME, OVER HERE.'

As the voice spoke, the torrential winds died down, but the cloud of sand surrounding the shrine remained. She managed to spot the altar, but what she saw was much different than before.

"K-Khepri...?"

Khepri was now sitting patiently on the rock, his tail wrapped around his feet and an amused expression on his face. But the most striking change were to his eyes. They were a deep crimson, the color of blood, and glowed softly.

This was clearly not Khepri anymore.

"Who are you?" The female Sandwing called. Instead of responding, 'Khepri' simply laughed, ragged and forced.

'NOW, NOW, DON'T GET AHEAD OF YOURSELF. YOU ARE THE ONE WHO CALLED ME HERE, I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE THE ONE ASKING THE QUESTIONS.'

Whatever was possessing Khepri, it didn't seem to be an immediate threat. The being yawned, bowed low on the altar, and stretched the dragonet's legs, groaning with pleasure as the stiff joints got moving again. 'MY, QUITE A BODY YOU BROUGHT FOR ME,' it purred, admiring Khepri's wings and tail. 'THOUGH IT SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE… WORSE FOR WEAR.'

Those few words sent a small chill down the other Sandwing's spine. And the way the being cast an amused glance at her with its crimson irises did nothing to help. 'NOW WHAT DID YOU WANT?'

The older Sandwing eyed him suspiciously, before taking a deep breath. "I want you to save my son," she said.

The stranger cocked his head, smiling. 'THAT'S ALL? NO MONEY, NO HANDSOME WARRIOR TO PLEASE YOU WHENEVER YOU SO DESIRE?'

"Um... well, no. That's it."

'HNNN, HOW CHARITABLE! CARING! YOU SELFLESS TYPES WERE ALWAYS MY FAVORITE KIND OF DRAGON.' The being nodded its head. 'VERY WELL. BUT SINCE THIS IS A DEAL, THERE IS SOMETHING YOU MUST DO FOR ME.'

Kehpri's mother stomped the sand irritably. "What do you want?" She yelled. "I just want you to make sure my son lives!"

Seeing her in distress, the spectre's smirk widened. 'PUSHY, ARE WE? ALL I ASK IS ONE… GOLD COIN.'

'A gold coin? What does it want with something like that?' The request perplexed Khepri's mother, but she wasn't about to ruin her one chance to save her son. She dug through her satchel for a minute, before her claws at last brushed up against some small and metallic.

"Here," she said, passing the currency to 'Khepri'. For a moment, the Sandwing could have sworn she saw something spark in the spirit's eyes.

The being laughed again, an unearthly noise that seemed to come from the very depths of the planet itself. His red eyes held false generosity in them, seeming like bait that lured dragons to their doom.

Khepri's mother gritted her teeth. This was by far the worst idea she had ever come up with. But she had looked everywhere for help, and what had she found?

Just more dead ends.

"Alright, there's your deal." Her shoulders relaxed. Even though the sandstorm still raged around them, she remained calm in the midst of the chaos.

'AH, WONDERFUL.' The being smiled. 'I WONDER WHEN A MORTAL LAST TREATED ME WITH SUCH GRATITUDE.' He extended one set of talons out to her.

The other Sandwing stared at them for a minute, before grasping them with her own.

'For Khepri,' she thought. 'All for Khepri.'

'HEY, LIGHTEN UP. YOUR SON WILL LIVE, I GET MY COIN, EVERYONE'S HAPPY,' The being observed. A dull red light began to emerge from their claws, growing steadily brighter.

'YOU KNOW, YOU TRULY ARE A WONDERFUL DRAGON. IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE, REALLY. A PLEASURE…' The being paused, chuckling.

'DOING… BUSINESS.'

And the light grew until it engulfed everything around them, and before they knew it, Khepri and his mother were alone in the desert once more.

Yet, as his mother sped away from the shrine in the shadow of the moonlit night, with him securely in her arms, the young dragon cracked a small smile. Weaving between his claws was the coin, bright and shiny.

'I love it,' he thought gleefully. 'They're just as dirty as I remember.'

'Did you see it, too?'

A young Mudwing sighed as she tried to ignore the voice chattering errantly in her head, instead trying to remember her way around the many decorated stone corridors of where she lived.

"For the twelfth time, yes, Ebrum, I did. Why do you think I'm up now?" She sighed, turning briskly into another hallway. "Could you please be quiet? I'm kind of busy here."

'Cut it with the damn apathy. Don't you know how important this is? Talons and tails, if it's… if it's that then I swear I'll-'

"Try not to think about it, Ebrum. But why do you think I know what to do? We need to tell the others first."

The voice let out a masculine huff. 'Whatever you say, Willow.'

Willow hated it when Ebrum did that. His contemptuous attitude sometimes made her want to punch him. But she couldn't, unfortunately. Not that she would anyway, since it probably wouldn't end in her favor…

Willow stopped for a moment to shake her head. "Ugh, focus, dammit! Remember why you're here!"

She had to remain focused. Considering the vision she had just received, the council would need to be assembled immediately.

"I hate to wake Comet and the others up in the middle of the night, but I guess I have no choice. Ah, here we go."

She had finally reached her destination: the Saints' Sanctuary. It was a high-walled room with an open-domed ceiling at the very top, through which moonlight currently shone. Torches lit up the elaborate murals on the walls, and a large stone table with several chairs sat in the center.

"Ebrum? Could you fetch the others for me?" Willow asked.

'Of course.' Ebrum could communicate via telepathy with the other six, so it would be easier for him to get the Saints than for Willow.

Willow groaned as she jumped onto a seat at the table, which had a brown hourglass-like symbol engraved into its back.

"Oh, man, I can only imagine how they're going to react when they hear this..."

As usual, Comet was the first to arrive. He didn't look too tired, but Willow was pretty sure he hadn't been sleeping anyway.

Then came Summer, Chill, and Nimbus. Laredo and Barracuda were the last to show up.

"So, may I ask why a meeting's been called so early in the morning? Who's responsible for this, anyway?" Nimbus grumbled as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes.

"That would be me, sorry," Willow said sheepishly. "I didn't want to keep you guys up either, but I think this is worth your time. I had a vision."

Comet, who was seated at the very end of the table, leaned forward. "A vision? Of what?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Willow as she started to speak. "I really don't know how to put this... there was a dragon, about our age, fighting Comet. He was about to kill you," she gazed worriedly at the Nightwing. "I saw his face."

"His eyes... they were red, like blood."

Ebrum, her familiar, cut her off before she could continue. 'I'm not sure if it means anything, but I felt something move in the Aether tonight,' he spoke, addressing the other Saints. 'Normal Blessed wouldn't cause something like that.'

"It's always fun when things move," Chill cooed, wobbling in his seat like a hyperactive child. "But, uhh, Ismadril- you don't think it was… y'know…"

This time, an icy feminine voice penetrated the air.

'It could be. But I'm not sure,' it declared. 'It seemed far too small to be him, but since he was so weak when we sealed him into the Vault, it only makes sense that he would retain that status coming out.'

"But I thought that was impossible. There's only one way in and out of the Vault…" Barracuda mumbled, her features full of trouble.

"I don't think that's what we should be worrying about. If what Willow saw is true, then that means he's possessed a real body, which would mean…"

'...There's no way to detect him outside of the physical realm.' Another voice, like a claw being dragged across a rock, finished for Ismadril. 'There will be no head-on confrontations this time.'

"Thanks, Razgul." Comet called, shifting uncomfortably. Then he turned to the other Saints. "What are we going to do?"

"I was sort of expecting you guys to have an idea," Willow said.

"I'm afraid even this leaves me puzzled," Laredo said dubiously. "And as Saint of Thought, you can guess that means that this is going to be more complicated than last time."

Finally, the Rainwing sitting next to Barracuda and Chill, the latter having fallen back asleep, spoke up. "Well, I think we should follow whatever Comet wants us to do. He is our leader after all."

Willow trained her eyes back on Comet. He had been silent through most of their rambling, and sat quietly with a distant look on his face. Willow had seen that expression many times before, of course, and knew its meaning.

"I think I may have an idea," Comet said finally. Strangely, though, he wasn't smiling about it. "But you'll have to give me a day to think about it. In the mean time, however, I want you all to get back to bed. I can't have you neglecting your duties just because you're tired."

The other Saints glanced back and forth at each other, and then at Comet. "Alright, you heard the man," Nimbus said, yawning. "We got stuff to do tomorrow. So, everyone, let's hit the hay!" He spread his wings and jumped up, gliding off down a corridor marked with a red symbol resembling two crossed swords above it.

The rest of the Saints quickly trickled out, with Willow casting one final glance at Comet before leaving herself.

Comet watched as Willow ducked into the corridor leading to her chambers. His keen ears listened closely as the last of her wing-beats faded out.

'He has returned,' Razgul huffed, the sound of his voice echoing in Comet's mind. 'What a nuisance.'

"You're one to talk," Comet growled in reply, scraping his claws on the stone below him. "What do you want me to do?"

'You know what I want you to do. I know you're not so stupid as to not be able to discern my desires, Comet.' Razgul spat out the Nightwing's name as if it were taboo to be uttered. 'Besides, wouldn't if be easier to kill them all than worry about tracking down one pathetic dragon?'

"You should take him more seriously," Comet said. "From what I heard, he put up quite a fight when you guys had to deal with him." He started walking down the darkly-lit hallway at the back of the room, claws striking the ground and sending sharp noises wandering out into the structure.

'We have learned much since then. To be ruthless in our purpose and let nothing stand in our way.' Razgul scoffed. 'Do you plan on disobeying me, Saint?'

Comet stopped, grimacing. "I never said that."

'I need not words to explain to me the motivations of others. Have you already forgotten what I am capable of?'

Comet ducked his head, trying to keep the macabre memories from coming back. Years ago, he might have had the courage to stand up to the god.

But.

That was all before he had known the... consequences, of disobeying something that wasn't meant to be disobeyed.

'I see you have not quite let those events go.'

"…No. H-how could I?"

'So, then… I am assured you will not be liable to make such mistakes a second time?'

A moment of silence passed between the two, the tension lingering in the damp air.

"Yes. And I think I know what I'm going to do."

'Oh really? What might that be?'

Razgul proceeded to delve into Comet's passing thoughts for an answer. When he came upon it, he was pleasantly surprised.

'Oh… yes. Yes! Wonderful, Comet, wonderful!'

A crazy grin cut across Comet's face, looking halfway in between laughing and crying. 'I-I'm glad you think so.'

Razgul huffed. 'Still, what about the… others. You must know they would surely refuse such a proposal.'

"Don't worry," the Nightwing replied. "Once they hear it from me, they'll be so convinced they won't have a reason."

Silence buzzed in Comet's brain as he crawled back into bed.

'If you really go through with this,' Razgul chuckled, 'You will have been by far my most capable student.'

Comet smiled. "Thank you… Master."

Also, what did you guys think of book 10? I think Qibli's head would look really nice on a stake now.