Chapter 11: A Bitter Truth
Cynder recognised the voice! The shadows gathered and formed the shape of a dragon.
"Lord Malefor? But how?" Cynder asked.
"Mastery over the shadows allows me to call them together to form a temporary body," Malefor said. "The effort is incredibly draining but dire times like these force my talon."
"What's going on, Malefor?" Cynder asked, her panic returning. "I don't understand, what's going on? What am I going to do?"
"Cynder, be calm," Malefor said soothingly. "The Assassin is on his way with a battalion of my best warriors. Everything's going to be fine."
"You've always wanted to know where you came from, and now you do," Malefor mused, seemingly trying to change the subject. "But do you know how the Assassin found you? Why he brought you to me?"
Cynder shook her head miserably, her excitement at seeing her home was gone. Now she wished she'd never come to this place.
"This land, like the Realms, is at war. Not with me though, rather between three sisters who wanted to be Queen," Malefor laughed darkly. "How truly petty."
Cynder sniffed. That was stupid. Why would they start a bloody war over that? Couldn't they just kill
each other and spare everyone else the suffering?
"Now there was a prophecy. It said that six dragonets would be born and they would end the war. Two sisters would perish, one would be Queen," Malefor continued. "But there were those who would not see the prophecy fulfilled, who would not entrust themselves to fate."
The shadows making up Malefor's form were shifting and changing. Cynder could vaguely make out shapes and figures in the darkness. Soon, she found herself staring into Queen Scarlet's throne room. Or was she actually in it?
The illusionary shadows were so thick around her that it seemed she was standing in the room again. And sitting on the other end of the throne room, looking slightly more tired than when Cynder had first seen her, was Queen Scarlet.
"What is this?" Cynder asked. Her own voice sounded odd-slightly muffled-as though she was underwater.
"Queen Scarlet's memories," Malefor answered. He sounded as if he was speaking from all around her. "Of the night that the dragonets of destiny were supposed to be born."
A SkyWing soldier burst through the doors. "So sorry to intrude, your Majesty," the soldier said quickly. "But Queen Burn has arrived."
"Thrilling," Scarlet remarked drily. "Let's get this unpleasantness over with."
The guard nodded, bowed and left the chamber. Moments later, a heavily-built SandWing marched in, flanked by two guards. "Queen Scarlet," the big SandWing greeted. Cynder was having trouble believing the SandWing was female.
"Queen Burn," Scarlet replied. "To what do I owe the honour of this thrilling visit?"
"It's the brightest night," Burn said.
"And I've already ordered the killing of all the dragonets born tonight," Scarlet replied calmly. "You don't need to worry about any prophecy dragonets tonight."
"Now can you leave me alone?" she asked bluntly. Her guards shifted uncomfortably, wondering how Burn would react. "I'm rather tired. Laying eggs isn't fun."
Burn took it rather well. "I'm glad I don't have any," she remarked with a smirk.
Just then, another SkyWing guard burst in. "Queen Scarlet,!" he said, panting, as he rushed in. "The royal hatchery! It's been broken into! One of your eggs has been stolen!"
Scarlet went livid with rage. "Who dares?" she snarled.
"An IceWing was seen fleeing with it," the soldier said. "We've sent out patrols."
Scarlet made to get up but Burn said, "No, Scarlet. You're in no shape to go. Allow me. Besides, I'm bored, I need someone to kill."
"Fine," Scarlet said, wincing. Burn and her guards turned to leave.
Suddenly the scene began to warp and distort. It was as if Cynder had been looking into a puddle and someone had dropped a pebble in. Then everything went back to normal.
Scarlet seemed to pause and consider something. Then she called out, "Oh and Burn?"
Burn stopped and looked back. "Yes, Scarlet?" she asked, a hint of irritation showing.
"Make sure that egg doesn't come back," Scarlet said.
"Of course," Burn said, grinning savagely. "Would I do it any other way?" She left with her guards.
Cynder gasped. What was Scarlet doing? She was going to kill her own child? Why? At first she couldn't believe it but, after some consideration, she realized it fit the SkyWing Queen's callous nature perfectly. What a monster.
The scene shifted and Cynder watched in despair as Burn murdered the IceWing and cruelly threw the egg off the cliff.
Cynder was in shock. "How could they? That was Scarlet's own daughter!" Cynder cried.
"Unfortunately, there is yet more to this tale," Malefor said. Cynder watched as a red dragon emerged from hiding and beheld the sight of the dragonet and the IceWing. Before she could even wonder who that had been, the dragon took flight, leaving the corpses.
And then a familiar figure crept forward. Cynder felt a flicker of hope when she realised it was the Assassin! He crouched by the dragonet, healing her wounds with spirit gems. Why does she look so much like me, Cynder wondered.
She looked on as the SkyWing dragonet was brought before Malefor who healed her with his dark magic. But she was not left unscathed. As Malefor had told her before, dark magic was so potent that it always left its mark.
The SkyWing didn't look like a SkyWing anymore-it's scales were black-just like hers! A sudden horrible realisation dawned on Cynder and she gasped, falling backwards. The shadows dissipated.
"No, no," Cynder repeated over and over again, refusing to believe what she had just seen. "It's not true, it can't be!"
Malefor watched her somberly. "I hate to be the bearer of such ill tidings. But it is true. Queen Scarlet is your mother. She tried to have you murdered as an egg. I am truly sorry. I tried to hide the truth from you, to hide the pain."
"Why?" Cynder cried. That's why Scarlet was so angry just now! She recognised the daughter whom she tried and failed to have killed! Cynder felt tears welling up.
She had always imagined her mother as a caring, kind dragon. Now she knew she was a monster. "I don't understand," she said, her voice trembling.
"In this land, the dragon tribes rely on challenges to determine a Queen's successor. The vanquished is usually killed," Malefor stated matter-of-factly. "Your mother tried to prevent you from challenging her."
Cynder wrestled with this sudden revelation. She had always believed her mother would be better than the dragons Malefor was at war with, that she would have welcomed her home with open arms. Now she knew her mother was too drunk on power to care.
Cynder held back her tears. She wasn't going to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her hurt so much. As if feeling the depths of her despair, the shadows around her seemed to darken. She refused to believe it. And yet there the truth was, staring right back at her.
Despair turned to anger which itself was soon replaced by hate. Cynder rose, the shadows around her writhed, mirroring the inferno of bitterness in her heart.
"She's not my mother," Cynder snarled finally. "She isn't and never will be."
She let out a roar of defiance and grief, channeling all her rage, her pain, her loss into it. But sound wasn't the only thing that came out. Suddenly, a gout of shadows blasted forth from her jaws.
Dragons all around looked up from whatever they were doing. They all wondered what in Pyrrhia could have made such a heart-wrenching noise?
Cynder stood on her column, panting. That had depleted more energy than she had expected. But she understood now. She knew why the shadows had refused to heed her call before. To use dark magic, one had to have a source to draw on. Her despair, her hatred and pain at her mother's betrayal had given her that. Probably the only thing I can thank her for, Cynder thought bitterly.
Gone was the wide-eyed, fun-loving dragoness she had once been. In her place stood something far darker.
"And now you are ready," Malefor said from behind her, a hint of pride in his voice. "Together, we will make this world a better place. A world without suffering, a world without pain or misery. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Cynder nodded, listening. "What would you have me do?" Cynder asked.
"First you need to get out of here," Malefor replied. "Your newfound power will help you survive the Arena until my forces arrive. But the form you used just now was crude. You have power but you lack the control to use it effectively. I will show you how."
Cynder closed her eyes, watching as Malefor showed her all his years of experience in the confines of her mind.
When it was done, Cynder said, "I'll need practice. Observation is one thing, execution, on the other talon, is another."
"You don't need to worry about that for now," Malefor said. "For now, I-"
Another voice cut him off. "Wow, how did you do that?"
The shadow dragon flickered out of sight as a small SkyWing approached Cynder's column. Cynder turned to glare at the dragonet.
"No, wait, it's okay if you don't want to tell me," the dragonet said, backtracking. "I mean you'll probably have to use it against me in the Arena eventually."
"Who are you?" Cynder demanded. "And what are you rambling about?"
The dragonet seemed taken aback. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to bother you, I just thought that was pretty cool. I'll go away now."
She winged away looking downcast. Cynder watched her go with mixed emotions. Eventually her conscience got the better of her. She had suffered but she didn't have to take it out on poor, defenceless hatchlings.
"Wait!" Cynder called. The dragonet stopped and turned. "I'm sorry," Cynder continued. "I'm just having a really bad day." Understatement of the year, she thought. "I'm Cynder."
The dragonet brightened up. "I'm Peril, the Queen's Champion."
Author's Note:
And so Cynder learns the truth at last. As you can see, it's already taken its toll on the young dragoness. But is it really the truth? Scarlet is already ranting and cursing at Malefor and calling him some very unflattering names... My, my I thought only Queen Thorn knew how to cuss so professionally, I stand corrected.
With that I just want to thank you guys for all the reviews! How did you like this chapter? Was it dark enough?
I'm going to have to cut it short here-I need to go stop Scarlet from blowing down the house. No wonder Burn kept her chained down... Be back next week for the next part!
(*Oh come on, not the fish tank for crying out loud! Scarlet get a hold of yourself!*)