Merry Christmas to all. Unfortunately this is not exactly much of a christmas themed chapter, but in my defence, it was writtten well over 2 months ago, so I never realized that this would be posted on Christmas. Although the next chapter kind of fits the theme of New Years, as we will say goodbye to some recurring objects in my story until now, along with the current story arc, and hello to new things.

Anyways, enjoy.

Scorched earth

Extract of Mercury's journal, date: Tuesday of the 23rd week of 79 ADG
Eureka! Today I found a way to forever silence these dreams. It is in the form of a spell, a quite ancient one at that, but it requires a few items to be collected and gathered into a single object, so I must now use quite a bit of my fortune to pay some elves to locate these, as I do not believe that I would be able to do so myself in my current condition.

There are a few other things that I must attend to as well, but most of those are proper pronunciation and then the task of finding a strong memory as a starting point, as without one, the spell would affect my entire memory, instead of just from that starting point and then until now.

I know that it is quite a desperate measure to take, but I feel like I have no other choice than to do this, because I cannot live on like this and I cannot divulge what I know in a therapy session.

Kilgharrah POV
Kilgharrah was just returning from a hunting trip in the most northern parts of the Spine. He had quickly found that hunting was no real challenge in Eregion, so he had begun searching for more challenging places to hunt.

The northern part of the Spine, the part that did not appear on any two-leg-maps, had proven to be much more challenging to hunt in. Not only were the prey much scarcer, but the creatures there had adapted to the state of constant frost and snow that dominated these parts of the Spine all year round.

All prey and all predators there, even the little long-ears-many-hatchling-breeders, had white fur that made them almost undetectable in the snow. This made hunting so much more enjoyable than simply having to hunt the easy four-leg-antlers.

Kilgharrah had even taken Mercury-foster-partner along for one of these trips at one time, when he had really been down. Not that he had openly showed it, but Kilgharrah knew him well enough to see it. Well, when Kilgharrah said that he had taken Mercury-foster-partner along, he really meant that he had informed the dragon-guard-rider a day in advance, before he simply snatched Mercury-foster-partner up in his claws and went on the trip.

Despite the impromptu departure, Mercury-foster-partner had seemed to really enjoy the trip, and Kilgharrah had liked that. Although he had not thought about it, he had still snatched Mercury-foster-partner up with only the clothes that he wore at the time, which resulted in Mercury-foster-partner having to share his inner-fire to stay warm at nights.

That had brought back some happy memories of back when Kilgharrah had been little more than a hatchling, while Mercury-foster-partner had kept him warm in much the same way in the giant-Beor-mountains.

As Kilgharrah sailed on the winds-from-sea, he thought about how Mercury-foster-partner had been more down in the last couple of months than he had been in most recent years. It had all started after that meeting with Fagosh-partner-of-Hakotha-hatchling.

Kilgharrah had not listened in on the meeting, but he could guess what it had been about, and his guesses had been confirmed when he had talked to Mercury-foster-partner later that week.

How dare they put such a burden on Mercury-foster-partner's shoulder, Kilgharrah angrily thought, while he snapped at a bird flying nearby, even knowing how much he sacrificed, so that they could have peace, they still want more from him. Do they not know how much he has had to endure to remain in his peaceful life? Do they not know that simply by asking him to help, they have already put much of the burden on his shoulders, for if he were to deny their request, then he would have to live with the knowledge that he might have made a difference, but chose to refuse to.

Kilgharrah continued to pout for a few moments, occasionally spouting flames at nearby fowl, before he reined his anger in again, no, it is not Fagosh-partner-of-Hakotha-hatchling's fault. He was simply desperate to find a solution to the problem, and thought that an ideal one had presented itself.

Kilgharrah felt proud of himself for being so wise, as to be able to forgive those that had caused such worry to Mercury-foster-partner, although he imagined that Mercury-foster-partner had never even born any grudge against them. He probably felt that he would have tried to do the same if he had been in their situation.

Perhaps I should bring him on another trip north, Kilgharrah mused to himself, it might take his mind off of his own cancelled-delayed-sabotaged trip to old-abandoned-little-two-leg-city. This time, I should probably try to pick him up when he is at least wearing more appropriate warm-woollen-clothes.

His thoughts were however soon redirected from that topic, when he flew over a white-snow-mountain-tip. The majestic sight was something that Kilgharrah never got bored of looking at; all it really needed to be complete was Mercury-foster-partner climbing up the side of it.

Kilgharrah would never admit this to Mercury-foster-partner, but when he watched him climb up Utgard-sorrow-place, even despite Kilgharrah's continued taunting and baiting him about just letting him ride up with him, Kilgharrah could not help but feel proud that this was the person that had raised him. His Mercury-foster-partner had, without any magic-energy-changing or help from anyone else, climbed the mountain that had previously been named Edoc'sil, unconquerable, because its sides had supposedly been too steep to climb.

Not that anyone ever knew that he had done so. No, Mercury-foster-partner had never cared for any such admiration from those around him, he had simply done it because he wanted to see whether he could. Besides, it would hardly be fitting for a supposed old cripple to be seen climbing a mountain that was supposedly too steep for anyone else to climb.

Speaking of the old cripple, Kilgharrah had to wonder when exactly Mercury-foster-partner would fake his own death, and then set up a younger persona to take over. Kilgharrah knew that it had to be within the coming years, as he knew that even know, Mercury-foster-partner was bordering on what could be considered still human, not even taking into account his surprising vitality for a man his age.

Kilgharrah knew that Mercury-foster-partner had planned on doing this at least once a century, when he had first negotiated with two-leg-high-king about the deed. It was why he had implemented the rules about succession to his noble house, so that he would be able to continually set up new identities that could take over from the previous. All he really needed to do was to write into his will that this person would inherit everything, and then he could start over again.

I wonder what eye-colour he chooses this time, Kilgharrah mused, while he pushed a little snow off a passing tip with his paw, if I know him right, he will probably just take a green one, and then a red one after that, then perhaps a brown one…or perhaps he would choose grey again at this point?

Kilgharrah had always felt like Mercury-foster-partner's constant ability to change eye-colour, along with his own ability to change the colour of his scales, had given them some extra sort of bond; despite his slight sadness that Mercury-foster-partner had had to cover up his real eyes.

But then again, that was another similarity between them, for as Mercury-foster-partner had shown him, his own scales were naturally as clear as a diamond, but no one could ever see that while they were still on him. Mercury-foster-partner had only been able to show him with a scale that had fallen off, which he had then granted Mercury-foster-partner permission to dissect.

I wonder whether that scale is still collecting dust in Mercury-foster-partner's secret-underground-backup-vault, Kilgharrah mused, I know that he still keeps my egg-shells there, along with the rest of the things that cannot go on display, so it is quite possible that he also still has that one there.

Kilgharrah was now nearing Nolondil-home, he only had to fly over the last mountain tip to actually see it, but he could already smell the scent of burnt meat in the air.

I wonder what he is trying to cook today, Kilgharrah hungrily thought, he may just have been on a hunting trip, but Mercury-foster-partner's cooking was always something that there was room for, I bet he has tried to hold a feast with some of the dried-cow-meat that was about to get old.

Sure enough, once Kilgharrah cleared the mountain top, he could see a plume of smoke from where he knew Nolondil-home would be. Only the plume seemed larger than Kilgharrah would have anticipated from a simple set of bonfires.

Curiously sniffing the air, Kilgharrah soon found several different scents of meat in it. There was veal, feldûnost and…human and shrrg? No, that had to be wrong. The shrrgs knew to avoid fire, and humans would be incredibly stupid to get on their own roasting spikes…unless?

No, that could not be the case. Kilgharrah already mentally scolded himself for even considering such a thing, for surely there could be no way that someone would be able to raze Nolondil-home to the ground. It had not only shrrg guards, a Mercury-foster-partner that had never stopped to keep up his form even once, despite his obvious lack of any actual weapons, and a dragon and her rider.

For someone to go up against all of that, they would not only need an army, but an incredibly powerful group of mages…or a shade. Wait; did Mercury-foster-partner not mention something about the shade gathering an army behind it? Could that, that treacherous-dark-snake-shade, really have done this?

Teeming with rage, nervousness and a tiny bit of…fear, Kilgharrah immediately tripled his pace. It was not long before Nolondil-home truly came into view, or rather what was left of the place.

The planes inside the walls had been set ablaze, while the walls themselves looked like they had been broken down by a giant. The entire dragon hold had already been reduced to a pile of rubble, while the main building had great flames licking up its sides.

All but one of the once so majestic towers had crumbled down on themselves, while what used to be Mercury-foster-partner's personal section of the place had been decimated by the remains of…no, not Rutelia. Surely it had to be something other than Nari-guard-rider's partner of heart and mind, Rutelia, except that it was, and there was nothing Kilgharrah could do for his kin, but let the flames consume her body.

Already feeling a burning desire to kill whatever had done this to his Nolondil-home, Kilgharrah let his eyes wander across the front porch of the main building, where the previously so majestic copper beeches were now slowly turning into nothing more than piles of smouldering embers, but that was not the most infuriating part, because right there, spread around on the ground, lay the remains of his shrrg-pack-mates.

Already from this altitude, Kilgharrah could see that the bodies had been desecrated, but to his satisfaction, around their bodies lay at least three times that number of dark-attacker-men.

Hearing a crack from behind the main building, Kilgharrah twisted in the air to watch as more dark-attacker-men began to drag out the bodies of not only some of the visitors that Kilgharrah had spoken to more than once, but also the body of Nari-guard-rider.

Defilers! Snake-cursed-wretches!, Kilgharrah roared with fury, as he descended from the sky in a pure show of force.

The cursed-snake-abominations only managed to just look up in surprise, before a giant crimson-red dragon descended in their midst. Still too shocked to do anything but look surprised, they did not move before Kilgharrah's claws had mangled the bodies of five of the men.

It was then that they seemed to come out of their stupor, and if Kilgharrah had not been teeming with unrivalled rage right now, he would have been impressed by their courage in actually trying to attack him, a majestic-fearsome-dragon.

A quick swipe with the tail cut seven more in half, before he engulfed another 14 in an inferno of crystal flames. It was around this time that the remaining five realized their error and tried to scatter, but Kilgharrah would never allow something like that to happen to those that had defiled his most sacred place and killed his pack-mates, and quite possibly harmed his Mercury-foster-partner.

Two were caught by a quick swipe of his paw, another two suffered the death of his tail, before Kilgharrah pounced on the remaining, like a cat pounces on a mouse, and while holding him down under his paws, he grabbed the man's upper body with his teeth and pulled him in half.

Now that Kilgharrah's claws had turned the same crimson-red colour as his scales, while blood continued to drip down from his maw, he finally let go of some of his bloodlust, if only for the sole reason that could deny his lust for blood over who did this: finding Mercury-foster-partner.

Kilgharrah refused to believe that Mercury-foster-partner could simply be gone like this. No, that could not be, these wretched things should not have been able to even lay a hand on his Mercury-foster-partner. He was smarter than this, he had always kept up his daily training in the event of something like this, and he had magic-energy- changing for something like this. He could not be dead, he simply could not!

Kilgharrah refused to think about how Nari-guard-rider and Rutelia-dragon-kin had had that too, and yet they were dead. No, thinking like that would not help him find Mercury-foster-partner. All he needed to do was to stretch out his mind-soul, and then he would find that familiar touch again, like he always had, for surely Mercury-foster-partner had taken refuge in the woods.

Yes, he would probably have used one of the tunnels that go far into the woods to get to safety, Kilgharrah desperately thought.

Kilgharrah then tried to stretch his mind to encompass the entirety of Nolondil, but coming up empty, he tried to stretch it further and further, until he reached his usual limit, but even then, he still tried to stretch it just a little further.

No, he is not dead. He cannot be dead! Mercury-foster-partner is hiding somewhere, Kilgharrah frantically thought, although in the back of his mind, a nagging sensation was telling him that he would have to face reality at some point, yes, he must be hiding in some safe area, where I cannot reach him…the vault!

Upon his realization, Kilgharrah instantly jumped to the site, where he knew the vault would be located under, and began to dig as fast as he could.

Entire cartfuls of dirt vanished from the ground with each desperate paw strike, and during the entire time that it took to dig a hole down through all five metres of dirt that lay on top of secret-safety-vault, Kilgharrah never once listened to his aching muscles, which desperately pleaded with him to slow his pace and take a break.

Finally reaching the thick stone ceiling of the secret-safety-vault, Kilgharrah immediately stopped his frantic digging. It would not do to discover that Mercury-foster-partner had been alive, only to have been buried beneath the ceiling in Kilgharrah's attempt to rescue him.

But how to warn him of where I am collapsing the ceiling? Kilgharrah mentally asked himself, if only Mercury-foster-partner was here, he would know the answer right away. Wait, I could roar. Surely he would hear that, even in there, and then he would know of a way to let me know that he had heard me and was clear of falling-ceiling.

Roaring with all of his might, Kilgharrah became slightly nervous that the dirt would fall down on him and collapse the hole that he had dug, but luckily no such thing happened, although he did see the earth shake quite a lot.

The next moments were the longest in Kilgharrah's life. Each and every second felt like an entire hour to him, but yet nothing happened. After two entire minutes had gone by without any indication of a reply, Kilgharrah decided that Mercury-foster-partner might not have understood the meaning, so he tapped the exposed ceiling with his giant-claws a few times, before he roared again.

No response this time around either. Perhaps he had been mistaken? No, he could not give up on Mercury-foster-partner, so he did what felt natural to him: he stroke down the ceiling with one of his mighty paws.

After quite a few strikes, the ceiling finally caved in to form a hole large enough for Kilgharrah's head to get through. Not caring about the hilariousness of the position it would put him in, after all, who had ever seen a dragon stick its head down a hole like some fox hunting a rabbit, Kilgharrah immediately plunged his head through the opening.

Down here, his head could only just be there between the ceiling and the floor, so he had very limited mobility. The air was full of dust from the collapsed ceiling, but Kilgharrah could still make out the dwarven-magic-lamps glowing, and when the dust finally began to settle, Kilgharrah finally saw his precious Mercury-foster-partner.

Mercury-foster-partner was lying draped over the first pedestal when one entered the vault, while the heavy-iron-door behind him was still open. Judging from the blood running down the pedestal, along with the trail of bloody handprints on the door and the walls in the tunnel, Mercury-foster-partner had been grievously wounded before he had managed to get to safety.

It was too dusty to see if any further injuries had befallen his Mercury-foster-partner, but that could wait until he had gotten him out of here. The only problem with that was that Mercury-foster-partner was out of reach from where he was now, and he did not dare to collapse the ceiling further for fear of it completely collapsing.

Now to act quickly. What was it Mercury-foster-partner once told me about how materials moved across a floor?, Kilgharrah thought, as he turned his head upside down for the answer, yes, now I remember! It was that if you provided slick enough surfaces, then moving an object across a floor would take almost no effort. Now all I have to do is make this surface better. I am sorry about the burns that you might receive because of this, but I do not know of any better way, Mercury-foster-partner.

Done with his plan, Kilgharrah began to, as gently and controlled as he could, spew fire on the floor between the pedestal and his head. Soon the floor turned bright red, before the upper part melted a bit. This was good; it was what he needed to happen, so Kilgharrah cut off the flames when he saw this.

After waiting for only just enough time to let the floor cool enough, so that it was not glowing red with heat, Kilgharrah then drew I as much air as he could, as fast as he could. The effort seemed to work a little, because now Mercury-foster-partner was at least sprawled on the floor a little ahead of the pedestal.

After doing the breathing trick again a few times, Kilgharrah was finally able to snatch Mercury-foster-partner up from the floor, like a mother cat would her kittens, before he took off into the air.

Ilirea was his target now, and woe comes to all who would try to hinder his progress in making it to the dragon-riders-friends, who would surely be able to heal Mercury-foster-partner of his injuries. While Kilgharrah flew at a pace that he had previously thought impossible for him to maintain for very long, he desperately tried to hold Mercury-foster-partner so that all of his life-blood-liquid would not be spilled from his wounds.

They must save him! They simply must!, was the only thoughts running around Kilgharrah's head as he flew on.