Whoa sorry about the mad update dump yesterday. I was on a roll, what can I say?
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Niira was alone.
Alone in the inky blackness of the pits of Hellena. She was beginning to understand why her father had been so terrified of the place.
She and Meru had been startled to run into Kitty in one of the long corridors. The big beast was alone, and walked with a slight limp in a hind leg from where he must have slipped on loose stones somewhere along the way. Which made Niira fret about where her father and Marach were, and why Kitty had left them.
"Maybe he was sent to find us," Meru commented.
Then the gryff had turned around and started walking back down the path he had taken. Meru ran after him, but before Niira could follow they had disappeared into the darkness.
She had tried to follow them, but began to get the feeling that she was just running in circles. Crushed, tired, and terrified, she curled up on the floor, ready to give in to whatever fate awaited her in the depths of the prison.
Hurry, child.
The voice pulled her back. "Serpent Mother?" But the darkness didn't answer. Niira stood once more. "Where the hell do you want me to go? I can't see a damn thing and I'm lost!" Again, no answer.
Sighing, Niira started walking again. She stepped with her eyes half-closed, not caring any more if she ran into a wall or fell down one of the crevasses. Sooner or later she had to find the rivers of fire again. At least then she would be able to seee what she was doing.
At first she thought here eyes were playing tricks on her. But no, there really was a light up ahead. It wasn't the hellish glow of the lava, but something dimmer, light pale starlight. Dropping to all fours, she crawled along the path and cautiously peeked over its edge.
The light came from a hanging vial of starfire. It illuminated a strange scene. On one side of the room, backed against the wall, were her father, Marach, and Meru; Kitty was nowhere to be seen. They all brandished their weapons. It looked as if there had already been a scuffle of some sort, although there was no blood to be seen.
It was a single scaly form that held them prisoner, blocking their escape through the room's carved door. Niira's heart caught in her throat. Serpent Mother?
But the creature was no serpent. Although long-bodied with the narrow, tapering head of a snake, she stood on two legs, her hands splayed out in an aggressive posture. The reptilian's long neck was arched threateningly, spikes fanned out in an impressive display. Magic seemed to ripple off the reptile, so strong that Niira could feel it even where she was.
She's a Fireborn.
Then why am I feeling healing magic? The Fireborn don't have healers.
Realization hit her like a brick to the head. It was the Seventh. A female. A healer who worked with the Fireborn. Not at all like what she had been expecting.
Without thinking of here own safety, Niira leapt from the edge. She hit the floor between the Seventh and her companions like a house cat, on all four feet. Then she jumped forward, whiskers pulled back in a snarl as she roared a challenge to the reptilian before her.
The Seventh was startled by Niira's sudden appearance, but the half-blood soon occupied her full attention. A smile crept across her scaly visage. So, you have come. She said you would. "Think you can buy your friends time to escape, cat? The rest of the Fireborn are one their way here. It's only a matter of time before you all die."
Niira snarled again, her tail twitching violently. "Don't you dare mind-speakto me, filth," she growled in the Northland language. She silently urged her father and friends to escape while they could. But of course they couldn't hear her.
There was one in the room who could, however. Don't bother. They don't have a chance.
You would let us all die? Why?
Because I can.
"Call them off," Niira said.
"Or what?" the reptilian taunted.
"I was sent here by Serpent Mother. Would you care to face her wrath?"
A low, hissing laugh was her answer. Then a cackle that bounced off the stone walls. "That Serpent Mother still trying to win me back, is she?"
"We need the dragoons to fight Phoenix."
There was a sudden change in the Seventh that seemed to darken the air around her. "And what did dragoons ever do but destroy my life? Where was Serpent Mother then, if she cares so much about us?"
Niira was utterly confused by that.
"I didn't think she was one to take in traitors. The Fireborn fight for Phoenix."
"You weren't always one."
The reptilian gave her a cold, hard glare.
They circled, claws bared.
It was you who abandoned me, if you'll remember. It was Serpent Mother's voice this time.
The Seventh snarled, her teeth glinting deadly white in the starfire's light. Shut up.
It was your choice to run after your people were destroyed. And where has that gotten you? A place in the ranks of the very one who helped in that destruction?
"Go away!" The reptilian jumped into the air, swatting at some invisible nemesis.
My offer to help you still stands. As does the condition for receiving that help.
"Blackmail," the Seventh muttered as she calmed down, her spikes lowering.
"What?" Niira was still as confused as ever. There was obviously some outstanding issues between Serpent Mother and the Seventh. She got the impression that she had been sent to Hellena only to serve as a sort of relay point so Serpent Mother could talk to the rogue dragoon herself.
The Seventh hissed. "Fine. But just because I'm doing this doesn't mean I'm going to make your life any easier."
I wouldn't expect any less from you.
"Now then." The Seventh had dropped her threatening stance, but the bloodthirsty glint in her eyes still remained. "How about we get out of here before the rest of the Fireborn realize what's going on?"
Even she's afraid of them, Niira thought.
I am not.
Damn it. I need to remember she can mind-speak.
Yes, you do.
Stop it!
-----
Niira was glad to see that her companions had managed to slip out during her bizarre conversation with the Seventh. Finding them again would have been difficult, except for the reptilian's knowledge of the layout of Hellena. The managed to intercept Marach and Lavitz, dropping down in front of the two warriors from their higher path.
The men quickly held their weapons at ready, but lowered them when they realized who they were facing. "Don't do that," Marach growled.
"Sorry, it was the fastest way," Niira said.
Beside her, the Seventh scowled. The reptilian stood now in her human form, an eerie combination of white-tipped red hair and pale red eyes that made Niira shiver. "They'll be here soon," she said. "This way."
"Who is she?" Lavitz asked in a low whisper as they followed the red-eyes woman.
"The one who was attacking you. The Seventh. Her name is Shadow Hunter. Where's Meru?"
"She found Kitty after we escaped and rode off."
Niira growled in frustration.
They followed Shadow Hunter, although they couldn't exactly see where she was going. Niira was somehow under the impression that they were walking along a high ridge, but she couldn't tell for sure. Shadow Hunter walked with confidence, though, so Niira felt at least somewhat reassured that they weren't being led off the edge of some precipice. Still, she hoped she had made the right choice in following the Seventh, and that they weren't being led into a trap.
Niira stopped for a moment, looking down at the path. Sure enough, loose shards of rock fell away from her feet, dropping into the lava far below. Startled to find herself so close to the edge, she jumped away.
Something was making the back of her neck prickle; in her feline form, that translated to her mane ruffling up in an almost comical fashion. Turning to look behind, she saw a dark mass moving up the path to them with frightening speed. It rippled like black fire, almost invisible against the dark stone of the prison. Niira gasped and bolted. "Run!"
Even Shadow Hunter ran when she realized they were being pursued. Niira sprinted along the path, pulling ahead of everyone else. She felt guilty at leaving the rest of the group behind, but she was too terrified to stop. Onward she raced.
There was a flash of blue light from above, followed by a wave of magic that crashed into the walkway behind them. The Fireborn retreated in a yowling, hissing mass. Somewhere high above, Kitty circled them on his four wings, bearing the Blue Sea Dragoon on his back. Looking up at them, Niira felt her foot slip in some loose rubble, and then she was in free-fall.
No...no... Desperately, she tried to call her dragoon armor, but the dragoon spirit refused to react to her fear. The Black Gold Dragon was a stubborn beast. He would not lend his power to her unless there was a fair exchange: life spirit drawn from a living creature for the magical powers he gave to Niira.
Someone had grabbed her arm. She was jerked to a painful stop, wincing as she felt something in her shoulder pop. She looked up to see who had rescued her. Her gaze was met by her father's. He hovered in the air, his dragoon wings sending out showers of sparks as thy worked to keep them both aloft.
"Get down, you fools!" Shadow Hunter, in pale blue dragoon armor, dove at Lavitz. They tumbled to one side, dragging Niira along. Just in time, for a bolt of fire magic shot through the air where they had been a moment before. Recovering quickly, the pale dragoon pointed upwards. "There's a hole in the outer wall that's big enough for you to get through. Go."
Lavitz wasted no time. He shot upwards, pulling Niira with him. The half-blood cursed silently to herself, thinking of what to say to her dragon for refusing her the use of her own wings.
The Fireborn below had seen them. Howling with rage, a group broke off from the main force and flew after them, although Niira couldn't tell what held them aloft. But that mattered little, as the Fireborn were shooting straight at her. "Father!"
Fireborn and knight collided with a loud thunk. Niira was once again falling. She watched the rapidly-shrinking form of her father as he tried to fight off the self-deformed magicians. It looked as if the Fireborn would overtake him, but then he sent out a burst of magic that knocked them loose. Then he was diving for Niira again.
Niira was in a conversation with her dragon. Yinwulong, I swear, if you don't help me out here...
In reply, there was an almighty crashed that caused all of Hellena to shake. Sunlight bright enough to be blinding burst in from the newly-created hole in the side of the prison. Then a huge dark form rose to block out the light.
The Fireborn shrieked in terror, pulling back to assess this new situation. Niira called the creature to her. The giant black dragon lowered his head to break her fall, his long neck easily crossing the gap between them. Not even Fireborn are stupid enough to mess with a dragon unprepard.
But the Fireborn though quickly, and they rushed forward, as if hoping to overcome the dragon. The black beast lifted his head, coming eye-to-eye with Lavitz. "Get on!" Niira shouted to him. Shadow Hunter also took the cue, dashing forward to grab one of the dragon's head fins and swing onto his neck. Across the room, Kitty beat his wings furiously, also heading for the hole, as Meru urged him on.
Where's Marach?
The Fireborn were gaining on Meru, despite the damaging magic she sent their way. Then from out of nowhere came a wild shout. Marach went flying through the air towards them, spear held over his head in preparation for a heavy downward jab. He crashed into the front ranks of the Fireborn.
Niira watched as he suddenly disappeared into a sudden burst of fire and smoke-like robes.
"NO! Marach!"
The Fireborn had, for the moment, stopped their advance, gleeful at such captured prey.
Kitty shot through the gap in the wall into the open sky. The giant dragon Yinwulong didn't even wait for a command from his master. He withdrew his long, slender neck and began his flight northward.
