Rythian awoke in his room. He had been laid onto his pile of blankets, one pulled up to his chin. He snuggled down further, yawning gently. Then he stopped, his expression one of horror. He raised a hand to his face, confirming what he had already known. His mouth now stretched wider than the outer edges of his eyes. The skin around it felt rough and broken. His cheeks still stung from the shining tears that had forced themselves from his eyes. He threw off the covers and stood, a rush of lightheadedness almost sending him back to his knees. The room seemed smaller than he remembered, his head neared the ceiling. He took a steadying breath and walked out of the plain room. The hallways were bare, deserted. There was no sound except his feet impacting lightly with the floor. There was no light except for a dark purple glow that didn't seem to have a source. He could hear his heartbeat in the thick silence, echoing hollowly against his chest.
"Rythian." Something whispered. He spun around, hand reaching instinctively for a sword that wasn't there. He scanned the dark hallways, no one. His heartbeat picked up. "Why aren't you listening?" The voice seemed directionless. As he concentrated more voices joined the first, some loud and others soft. Each had its own voice, its own words. He turned frantically, desperately scanning every corner for the source. Nothing. One voice was a back drop, setting the beat for the cacophony of others. "Listen to Mother, obey Mother. Listen to Mother, obey Mother…." Repeating over and over again. His heartbeat peaked as he realized the voices didn't have a source, they were in his head. Some whisper words about obedience, others urged him to do horrible things. And some simply screamed. He leaned against the wall, gripping his pounding skull. Covering his ears in a futile effort to keep the voices away. They quieted slightly. He took a steadying breath and continued, searching for Mother. No, searching for the Queen. That beast wasn't his mother, she never had been. The halls seemed slightly off as he kept walking, almost tilted. He found himself stumbling, the voices increasing in volume. He shook his head, leaning on his knees to steady himself. That's when he noticed his arms, crisscrossed with angry red lines. What had happened to him?
He pushed onward, trying to ignore the dizzying pain in his head. He leaned heavily on the wall, not trusting his balance. He stumbled through the halls to the dungeons, an inexplicable instinct leading him. He saw the vague flickering light of a cold lamp, a lamp filled with black light, lighting the walls. The purple glow was less obvious as he walked into the light. The small dungeon felt cramped, a host of Endermen formed a half circle around the Queen. He saw what was almost pride shining in her eyes as he staggered in.
"Did I not tell you he would wake?" The Queen smiled as the Endermen bowed their heads in apology. "My son is strong, stronger now more than ever." Rythian wanted to be angry, he wanted to feel the same rage that had burned in his chest when he had been chained. That rage had meant he was free, that his emotions were his own and there was no sweet concealing lies keeping the anger at bay. But now he felt blank, like a slate wiped of anything but the smooth gray of calm.
"What did you do to me?" He asked, wishing that he could put more force into the words. Mother looked at him tenderly, an expression he had not seen since his early childhood.
"I fixed you." Was it possible for such simple words to be so full of lies? "Not all the way, but enough. We would go further, we would perfect you, but in doing so we risk your life. And I would never do that." The Queen sounded sincere.
"I don't feel 'fixed.' I feel weakness and pain." Rythian was leaning against a low table, legs barely able to support him.
"The pain will pass." The dragon assured him.
"What about the voices?" He questioned, a new wave of murmurs racing through his skull.
"A simple reminder for you, one could call them your conscious." She said dismissively.
"A conscious doesn't yell at you to torture and kill." Rythian replied. It was getting harder to ignore those particular voices, much less the mantra that pounded unrelentingly.
"Doesn't it?" The Queen shrugged, insofar as dragons are able. "You'll get used to them. But that isn't important now."
"Then what is?" Rythian was slowly inching away from the table, strength returning to his limbs.
"Well, we've fixed you. You are now truly an Enderborn, but the test of your loyalty remains. I, of course, have no doubt that you see the truth now but others are more skeptical. You did behave very erratically." As the Queen paused Rythian knew with sudden clarity what was about to be asked of him. "I'm willing to forgive your behavior in the labs, I'm even willing to forgive the fact that you hid an enemy from us. But only if you finish what you should have done months ago." The entire room seemed to hold its breath for his answer.
"And if I say no?" He asked, ignoring the sudden pain that flared in his skull as he all but refused. The Queen's eyes narrowed angrily.
"Then we punish you both." Her voice was colder than ice. Not that he had ever felt ice, only heard it described by Mary.
"I won't do it, no matter what you do to me." He growled. The Queen rolled her eyes.
"You've said that before, and look where we are now." She sighed. "I will give you one last chance, kill the creature or you both die."
"No." Rythian said. The voices hissed angrily, urging him to change his mind. She wasn't worth it, they whispered. He pushed their words aside. "Never."
"Then bind him. And bring me the girl." Rough hands seized his arms again, pulling the chains around his wrists. The hands stayed, keeping him in place.
"Rythian!" Mary's voice called from behind him. He tried to turn, but the Endermen holding him were too strong. He tried to call her name, but strong hands clapped over his mouth.
"Mmm!" He managed to grunt. She was dragged into view. Her long brown hair was tangled and coated in drying blood. She had scrapes and bruises all over. She was looking at him in horror, her brown eyes wider than he had thought possible.
"What did they do to you?" She whispered, trying to get to him despite the Endermen dragging her along. The Queen hissed at her and angry murmurs broke out among the Endermen present.
"This is the creature that poisoned my son!" She proclaimed. "This is the creature that would seek to turn him against us and crumble our kingdom!"
"I did noth-" Mary's voice was cut off by a clawed hand over her mouth. For his part Rythian was too shocked to even think of resisting. The way Mary had looked at him, it had been in fear yes, but also disgust. Rythian had simply thought his cheeks torn from the combination of screaming and the liquid fire that they had forced into his veins. But her look, coupled with the strange light in the hallways and his apparent growth spurt, had him fearful of something worse.
"What is your judgment?" The Queen ignored Mary's outburst. "What would you do to the enemy who so stealthily sabotaged us and the traitor the viper created?"
"Death. Death for the daughter of light, for the snake tonged." The crowd murmured.
"And for the boy?" The Queen seemed as though she could be talking of an animal for all she seemed to care.
"Banished. Let him burn in the light he so desired, his failed blood undoing him." Came the crowds reply. Rythian felt weak at the knees. He had heard stories, the light that scorched flesh from bone and a liquid that melted even that. They may as well have killed him for all the chance of survival that gave him.
"He will burn. Of that we shall be sure." The dragon laughed, and the voices echoed. "First the girl, then we can throw him into the portal." Rythian looked up sharply, a portal. That was the way out of here. He remembered, years ago, hearing the gentle humming of one through a wall. There had been no door to it. Even if he couldn't follow, it would still be a way for Mary to get home. But first they needed to escape.
"Who would like to do the honors?" The Queen asked, smiling into the eager crowd. One of the burlier stepped forward, unsheathing the dark metal blade at his waist.
"It would be a pleasure." He hissed. Mary seemed to finally understand what was happening and began to struggle against the Endermen holding her. "This is for our people!" He growled, moving his sword to her throat and pulling across.
Time slowed. Rythian saw the look of pain and fear cross her face as the dark blade began to carve a trench into her pale skin. He pulled at his captors, screaming. He felt something in him push and he shot forward, suddenly at Mary's side. The moment ended and she collapsed. Too late, he was too late. But not even the pain of her death could drown his surprise. He had just teleported. Even the Queen looked shocked, her mouth slightly open.
"Grab him!" The Queen yelled, sounding amazed. Rythian grabbed Mary's broken body and ran. It was several seconds before the Endermen had recovered enough to chase him. He sprinted down the halls, reaching the wall only paces ahead of his pursuers. Rythian closed his eyes, trying to find that energy again. He twisted the air around him, imagining that the wall was not even there. He collapsed on the other side. The darkened room was lit by the same purple light he had seen in the hallway mixed with a turquoise from the portal itself. The portal was the perfect reflection of the fake stars of The End, seemingly infinite. He heard the sounds of Endermen behind him and his concentration broke. He panicked, tossing Mary through the portal without a second thought. He turned to face them. Unwavering stares from purple eyes glared back.
"Goodbye." He whispered, throat dry in terror. He stepped backwards, feeling his foot hit a cold surface. It tugged him down, pulling him into its depths. The last thing he saw was Mother's face, looking down at him in pity.
A/N: Heh heh, please don't kill me.
