Have you ever heard of the phrase "The calm before the storm"? Well, it's exactly as it sounds. There is a calm and then the storm. It's also a literary technique to entice readers, almost teasing them with the promise of action. It's fun as the writer but the audience... I apologize. I've been a complete and total (insert random profanity here), but now, I will give you what you came for... after I set the scene of course.

Chapter VII

"The Diamond Spray Delta. It is sort of beautiful. But why are we here." Peril scouted out the skies but she knew that there was nothing there. They descended towards the delta but Skoúro saw nothing. No beautiful palace welcoming him...home. He almost forgot. He had lived in the winter palace for so long that he almost forgot about his life before. He almost longed for the over-decorated halls and the crowded squares.

"The palace is here. I got out by swimming through a lake in a cave. We have to swim there. It's the only way." Fotiá proclaimed landing next to the river. "If you hold on to my tail then I'm sure we could make it."

"Is there another way?" Peril asked whilst giving the water a sideways glance. "It feels really weird when I have to go in water. Are you sure we can't dig to it?"

"You're not afraid of the water are you? Trust me, it's less than a thirty second swim. You will be fine." Fotiá gingerly laid her talons on her shoulder and promptly removed them before any burns could occur. Peril took on last look at the water and dove in. Fotiá and Skoúro jumped in and Fotiá took the lead. Skoúro found that Peril's touch didn't burn as much when she held on to his tail.

She wasn't lying because about a half minute later all three of them popped their heads out of an underground lake in a cave system. It was nearly impossible to see anything unless Peril lit up their path with breaths of unusually hot fire. No one spoke and they followed Fotiá through the caves and eventually came upon a huge cavern. It was big enough to not only house the palace, but also the lake that used to sit beside it. Skoúro couldn't help but to look. The Willow still stood but it was long dead. It was rotten to the core and it was a miracle that it still even stood.

"Yeah, the Willow died maybe a thousand turns ago. It experiences abnormally slow decay due to the lack of practically everything needed for decomposition. I loved that tree even after..." Fotiá never finished for she seemed to forget about the statement completely. They moved silently to the palace gate. The doors were already open probably when Fotiá left. Skoúro brought up his map and examined the layout of the palace and two red dots. They entered the Main Commons and Skoúro looked around at the previously packed center which was now a ghost town. It creeped him out.

"So who are we going to wake first? I'm up for the one in the seventh tower because it's closer." Not a word was spoken but Fotiá led them towards the tower's staircase. They ascended quickly but at the top even Peril was breathing heavily. The map suddenly went static and reappeared with a big message written on the screen. Update Map?

"What the hell?" Skoúro pressed the button and was horrified when the dot that was ever so close had disappeared. "Oh no." Skoúro leaped ahead and threw open the door. A black mass was hunched over... a body. It turned it's head and dropped its victim's broken neck. It turned adjusting its wings as it did so. Most of the black dragon's upper face was concealed in a cloud of darkness. To red lights glowed from behind the black cloud where its eyes were supposed to be. It was battle scared up and down its sides and somehow possessed a sense of dark beauty. Silver scales dotted throughout its body giving it an unnatural sense of looking at a starry night sky.

"You're awake." Its voice was unnaturally deep and seemed to possess a slightly deeper, yet much softer, second tone. "How interesting." The group was paralyzed with fear as it slithered closer to them. Fotiá reached within her shoulder bag. "Don't even try using a knife. It won't work against a fifteen thousand year old set of scales." Fotiá was startled when he said this for she produced a knife from her bag. It could read minds. "Not 'read them' but more like skimming through active thoughts but it doesn't really matter. I still know what you think of and whoooo-e. You are just a bunch of rotten apples. We have a murder, a liar with a silver tongue, and a genocidal maniac. Well, at least I'm not alone." Peril stiffened at this. He grinned obviously enjoying himself. "Don't like the truth? I don't have to kill you to lift the curse so if you want you can run off to Clay and it wouldn't matter at all." He laughed. "But who am I kidding? He told you to escort them to them border of the Western sea so you aren't going anywhere. Let's end this." He lunged forward and pinned Skoúro. His face pressed up against Skoúro's. "You seem like the most dangerous so let me kill you and I'll make it a swift one."

Fotiá screamed and stabbed him in his shoulder. The blade didn't even pierce his skin. It just bent and crushed in upon itself. The black dragon twisted his neck to look at her. She began a bout of nervous laughter and backed away.

"Really?" He gave chase to her leaving Skoúro there. Peril had seemingly disappeared for she didn't help him up. He grabbed his staff from its sheath on his back and made his way down the staircase. Save for the sounds of the dragon pursuing Fotiá, it was quite. He rushed down and came upon a form at the bottom. At first he thought that it was another dead body but it was only a fiery companion who was... cowering in fear? Crying? Why wasn't she helping?

"Peril, I don't know what you're doing but please, help us." She sat in thought.

"He knows. He knows everything."

"You're not yourself. What's wrong?"

"I was used, when I was younger, by a queen for... sport. There was a war back then. I was raised to kill people in the prison arena as the Queen's Champion. I didn't exactly want to but I didn't realize what power I wielded. She had tricked me into killing for her entertainment. But Clay rescued me from that prison and I am still judged as the murderous dragon I am." She sobbed in her moment of self-petty. "I just want Clay. He's all I would ever want." As how sad the story was, she needed to set it aside. Could she do that though?

"I don't know if I can win this fight without you. Can you come with me to kill this abomination?" She stopped crying but didn't move. "Fine, be that way." He left her to her thoughts at the bottom of the staircase and pursued the dark dragon on his chase to kill Fotiá. He thought he was following them when Fotiá charged around the corner he was face to face with the dark dragon. He did the only thing he could and pushed the butt of the staff into the ground and point the other end at his opponent. The dragon quickly dodged left but got a nasty gash on his right side. The dragon took a moment to gaze at his wound in shock.

"Well, this was unexpected. You win this battle, but the war has yet to be won." With that he flew up and out of the palace. Through the ceiling. Phasing through walls? Well that explains the scorch marks in the Winter Palace but no exit or entry way. He could surprise them at any moment and they would be nearly helpless.

"What do we do now?" Fotiá huffed and puffed.

"Now we wake the other one. He or she may be useful in the upcoming fight."

End scene. So... when will the dark one return? I know but first let me apologize. I took way too long deciding how this guy would look and what his personality would be. Originally, he was to be made purely of smoke but that idea was scrapped when I realized that they couldn't have physical combat. Also, I drew what he would look like so I could better translate what he looked like. Yes, he looks menacing. P.S. You guys remember when I said someone would die? The nameless lady who dies is this person. So there probably won't be any surprise deaths. Key word: probably. And as a famous singer once said... "Good bye, everybody. I've got to go." (Lol, I don't own Bohemain Rhapsody by Queen. [Please don't sue.])