Sorry I took so long; a troop of evil little monsters kidnapped my muse and my dad confiscated my laptop. Pleasepleasepleaseplease review!
Chapter 9
Sitaris
Glancing over her shoulder, Nahnie hurried silently through the camp, her black wings folded around herself in the interest of covering her pink scales. Snores varying in volume sounded from around her, helping cover any sound she might make. She hurried to the outside of the camp, to a small secluded cove.
Unknown to the black and pink Fae, a shadowed figure followed Nahnie quietly. It stopped behind an outcropping of stone, peeking out from behind the rocks.
Nahnie stopped in the center of the cove as a red Spiral revealed himself out of the shadows. "Sitaris," The Fae greeted the other dragon, her tone cool. "Nahnie," Sitaris replied with equal distaste. "I trust you bring me news?" "Naerea is bringing her brother, Kyras along, and they do not have a real plan. Of course, my dear friend could be lying." The shadowed figure shifted uncomfortably behind its hiding place at this. "Good," The Spiral said quietly. "You have done well, Nahnie. Especially for bringing the very dragon I needed to me." "What?" Nahnie whipped around, her eyes scanning the darkness. The Spiral shot forwards, looping his coils around the tail of the shadowed figure who had been hiding. He dragged it into the moonlight, whipping its hood off. "Hello, Naerea."
Naerea had followed Nahnie on a hunch, a feeling enhanced by her recent suspicions about Ieyu. When her hunch turned out to be true, Nae was shocked. Why had Nahnie, the female who Nae had known and been friends with since hatchlinghood, betray her?
Naerea stared with loathing at the red Spiral who now had the whip-thin end of his tail wrapped tightly around her throat. "Who are you?" She croaked through the light constriction of his tail. "I am Sitaris. And I was sent by Lady Plaguebringer to capture you and your father," The Spiral hissed. "My father?" "Ragki the Betrayer." "Let us go," Naerea said vehemently, more bravery in her voice than she felt. A low chuckle sounded beside her ear. "Oh, I am afraid I cannot do that. You may go Nahnie. Here." A small pouch of gold was tossed to the pink and black Fae who turned away. "Nahnie!" Naerea cried. The Fae did not look back as she vanished into the darkness.
Sitaris dragged his captive over to the shadows, into a small hidden cave. There, he clamped iron chains around Naerea's wings and legs, fastening the ends of the chains to iron stakes in the ground. "I guess you are going to deliver me to Lady Plaguebringer; neatly sending me to my death?" Nae asked bitingly. "Yes. Now shut it and go to sleep," The red Spiral growled, pushing past her and curling up on the stone. Naerea yawned despite herself, quickly falling asleep despite her best efforts.
In the palace below the bubbling cauldron of plague that was the Wyrmwound, a certain Mirror male sat looking out of a barred iron window at the barren wasteland outside. Ragki's thoughts dwelled on the daughter he had never met, the one he had doomed to death the moment he had betrayed Lady Plaguebringer. A loud clang interrupted his musings as the door opened and a hunk of meat was thrown onto the floor. Ragki scrambled over to the meat, digging his fangs into it. The door closed again after a clay bowl of water was tossed in. Easily decimating his meager meal, Ragki curled up on the floor, trying to fall asleep despite his thoughts of his family.
Sleep was a long time coming, and even when he did fall into the realm of dreams, his rest was not peaceful.
"Ragki…" A voice called to the black Mirror through the white mists of this strange never-ending world of fog. "Ragki…" The Mirror looked around, searching for the source of the voice. "Where are you?" He cried, gaze desperately searching the mists. A black figure began to appear out of the endless white, a beautiful Mirror female with blue wings and black body. "Ragki..." She called, moving over to the black male. "Oriana…" Ragki breathed, rushing to meet her. "I have missed you." "I have missed you as well. I cannot stay however. One day, we will be together again, but I have very little time. The spirit elders… they have only allowed me to see you again to deliver a message." "A message? But why? I will soon be with you again; my fate is as good as sealed." "No. It is not. The spirit elders can see the strands of Time itself, and your time is not up yet. My message is thus: you must save Naerea. For Sorneith to survive the attack that is coming, our daughter must live! Do not lose hope, Ragki. If you save Nae, you will live and join me when it is your time, not before." Ragki bowed his head. "I will." Oriana smiled sadly. "Farewell…" She began to move away from him, her form fading into the mists with every step she took. Ragki felt a tear slip down his cheek as he too began to fade….
Ragki awoke with a start, his eyes wildly looking around the cell for a moment, searching for Oriana. His mind calmed as he realized what he had to do.