Chapter 55-Unresolved
Nethial hissed in protest under her breath, tapping the side of one of her metal limbs as she and Ladetis waited for Gregal to meet with them and deliver precious information about the clones that could be used to save Tanui's life. They had returned to the mainland in a relatively short time span, due mostly in part to the size of Ladetis's wingspan. Now waiting on the clone to return had strained their patience, too much in Nethial's case as she fingered her sheath expectantly.
Now, now, I'm sure there's a good reason for the length of time that has passed, Ladetis snorted as Nethial forced herself to sigh, leaning against his side as he lay on dry, cracked ground miles from Arxa's cavern to avoid having the dark dragoness come after them.
"A good length of time does not begin to describe how long that fool has been gone. I bet he's telling-" A growl of surprise choked off the rest of her rant and Nethial glanced up at the sky to see the distant shape of a dragon flying to meet them.
He's here, but why in dragon forme?
Ladetis's question went unheard in her mind as Nethial realized with a shock that the dragon wasn't Gregal and instead was the Corruption-controlled she-dragon herself. Arxa had gotten involved and it made their need for answers seem trivial in comparison to all the information she wanted from the very darkness that had kept her alive just to be used as a temporary host for something bigger.
"Arxa came. We attracted the wrong attention. Normally I would try to fly away but not now, not with her being so close. We must be cautious, Ladetis."
Nethial pushed herself away from Ladetis and stood her ground as Arxa landed before them, letting Gregal descend from her back before roaring suddenly, making both of them retreat a step. She could see the wisps of Corruption's magic just rolling off the dragoness and the thought made her sick to think that she had caused it by just returning to the living again and having her body used as a vessel until the she-dragon had come along.
So the traitor has returned to where she was reborn, how fitting, Arxa smirked as Nethial forced herself to stand strong and not retreat out of fear at just hearing the dark tone of the magic that had turned on her.
"Strong words from a spirit that took over an unwilling host," Nethial snapped back, hoping her fighting words would mask the fear that she had about confronting the shadows again. "Your power is useless against those that follow the path of light-"
Which you do not. Testing me is not a wise choice, slave.
Nethial growled, trembling even as she felt Ladetis's warm breath wash over her neck. Who are you to determine what she can or cannot do, he asked a moment later as she cringed, wishing he hadn't said anything.
Arxa throatily growled in delight, arching her back to let loose a plume of smoke into the air before bringing her head down to gaze at Ladetis. Fine words for the son of the deserter of what was to be a family legacy. You would make an excellent commander of the clones, if you weren't so headstrong . . . Pity about that though.
Pulling her sword free, Nethial pointed its blade at Arxa, her eyes narrowed as she stared down the dark dragoness. Ladetis would surely be killed if he rose to attack Arxa and she couldn't stand to see that happen. If Tanui still had any connection to his dragon, its death would only make the mental collapse more damaging and possibly permanent. From out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gregal reach behind him and bring out a small cylinder that fit directly into the palm of his hand.
Changing her grip to her favored reverse-hold, Nethial motioned with her free hand towards the irritate she-dragon, smirking as she stepped to the side to let Ladetis move his head up alongside her. A single yellow iris met her questioning gaze and she gave a shallow nod, flipping backwards as Arxa sprang for her and a blast of poison made contact with the black scale-flier's chest. Running a hand along his white scales as a way of thanking him, since she was unsure of opening her mind to him at the moment, she paused, having lost track of Gregal during the attack.
Retreating a step, scanning the area around her as Arxa spat off a ball of black fire towards Ladetis in retaliation, Nethial was suddenly jerked backwards and a muscular arm wrapped around her neck. She started to scream but a sharp prick of pain in her neck stopped any attempt of escape as she passed out, slumping against Gregal's chest as he held her in place. Sweeping her up in his arms, he used the fighting between the two dragons as cover to slip away and retreat unnoticed.
Pale blue light caressed her as Nethial regained consciousness to find that she was now in an underground stone room, a single door leading to the outside as the space around her was filled with various tools and several small, leather-bound books. Other than a metal table that she was laying on, there were several shelves built into the open area around her and even a wooden table that spanned the entire length of one wall to another. She was laying on a smooth surface that barely offered her enough room to stretch completely out but, as she reached down to her lower half, her fingertips met empty air instead of the steel she was used to feeling. Jolting upright, she glanced down to find that there was nothing from her hips down, the once semi-skin having been taken off as well as her constructed limbs.
The door to the room suddenly opened and Nethial hissed in pain as bright light streamed into the small space, lifting a hand to shield her eyes and falling back down onto the table. Once the area returned to its normal illumination, she stared up at the being standing in the doorway to see that Gregal had just closed the entrance back off and hadn't even turned to face her yet. Hissing through clenched teeth, she lowered her upraised hand back onto the surface under her and waited for the hybrid to make eye contact.
"What did you do to me?" She screamed in rage as Gregal wearily turned to walk towards her; the clone wearing an ankle-length white tunic stained with blood that looked to be a mix of fresh and old.
"I saved your life," he retorted as he went over to the table that lay across the room from her, pushing aside a pile of loose papers as his shoulder-length black hair hung down over some of a large gash in the back of the garment, the size of the slash looking to be the same as a full-grown dragon's claw width. "The fight didn't last much longer after I knocked you out. Arxa followed after us and nearly killed both of us as . . . well, I have to admit it was my fault, since one swipe from her tail as she flew over us left you legless and me nearly ripped in half only to be kept together by my spinal cord. That dragon of Tanui's gave me time enough for my healing to kick in and I crawled over to you once I could, but not before I pulled my tunic off to wrap against the bleeding stumps that remained of your legs so you would have a chance at surviving . . ."
Nethial sighed, taking another look at what had once been her legs. "Ladetis fought her off to allow us to survive? I can't believe he would do that, especially for me, after what he did . . ."
"He must have wanted to repay you for what he did, I guess." Gregal commented as he gripped the side of the table, the sound of wood splitting reaching Nethial as his shoulders tensed. "I've been trying to come up with a design that was as good as what you had but nothing seems to work together right."
Noticing that the flesh that remained looked healed and had no trace of scarring, Nethial blinked, wondering how long she had been unconscious. "How long has it been since . . . this?" She asked, gesturing to her lower half even though Gregal couldn't see it since his attention was still on the table.
"Three days. I put you in a tube with the fluid we used for all the clones, hoping to accelerate the healing process so there would be less chance of infection."
"What about yourself? I know the clones have an abnormal rate of healing but how long did it take for you to recover from the blow Arxa dealt you? You did mention damage and having to crawl over to me . . ."
Gregal sighed, the tension in his shoulders fading as he loosened his grip on the wood and brought his hands to his side. He turned, facing her as she saw the faintest scarring of three claw marks across the entire right side of his face. Nethial flinched, glancing between her own wounds and his own. Arxa had dealt them both serious injuries in their escape, not caring who was attacked in the process.
"Her observer down here where the clones stay, the grey dragon that lingers in the shadows and watches all, ambushed me and left this as a reminder a few hours before. Arxa has Ladetis and I suspect she's been torturing him since I've heard his shrieks for nearly two days while trying to keep you alive."
"Why hasn't Jormundur found out where I am then? You did say he ambushed you . . ."
"I kept your location a secret," Gregal muttered softly, shaking his head at her ignorance as she propped herself up on an elbow to better see him. "Arxa did no different when you were brought back into life and Corruption flowed into her, leaving you an empty, broken shell."
Nethial hissed at hearing him mention her return to existence that had cost an innocent dragoness so much. She loathed bringing up the darker parts of her past, especially with Attor now dead and everything so different from how it had once been back in paradise. Slowly she forced herself to calm down and sighed, dropping her gaze to the metal under her as a section of her hair fell into her face, obscuring her sight and masking her eyes from Gregal's stare.
A sudden cough from the clone startled her and she flipped her hair back behind her as he wheezed, spitting out a glob of bloody saliva into one of his hands. The purple irises darkened as she watched him stare at the substance in his palm before he let it drip to the floor, stepping over it to come over to her. Only a few inches away, Gregal paused, going into a coughing fit that nearly drove him to the floor as he grabbed hold of the cot she was laying on to keep some sort of balance, letting more of the crimson-tinted spit dribble down and further stain his clothes.
"I assume your wounds are still healing," Nethial remarked dryly as Gregal regained his composure and rose back to his normal height, a faint sheen of sweat having broken out on his forehead as he wiped at his mouth with a hand while letting go of the table.
"This wasn't caused by her. I've had this for as long as I can recall, a deformity of some sort that hinders my work," Gregal admitted as he looked her over, placing a hand on the cloth above the bandaged burns on her chest. "Tanui attacked you and it's why you're afraid of him, isn't it? You're scared he could hurt you again."
Grey irises flickered with rage as Nethial shoved his arm away, glaring at him. "How do you know about that?" She snapped as Gregal chuckled softly at her reaction.
"Relax, you told me much in the last few days. I've learned some interesting things from your past and present. You really did love Tamli, didn't you? Why fault him for what he did when he protected you and Raoul?"
"You know nothing about my life," Nethial yelled, trembling as his words cut her to the core and silently made her reconsider why she even loathed Tamli anyway.
"Forgive me, memory attachment is quite strong sometimes. I can tell you what I know about Tanui's early days, if you want to know."
"I guess I don't have a choice," she admitted with a sigh as Gregal softly grinned, moving back over to the table and clearing off a space so he could sit down. "I figure his beginning must be pretty boring . . ."
Gregal laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "It is far from boring, princess. Tanui might have been called the best of us but he was, in truth, far from that perfection. Amia didn't know the hidden secrets we kept from him, all the while hoping that somehow we could hold off the decay long enough to make our master's wishes come true."
Nethial nodded, rolling over so that she lay on her stomach. "Please don't call me princess," she sighed, glaring at him before her expression softened. "How much had the decay advanced that you had to hide it from your own creator?"
"Did Tanui tell you anything about himself?" Gregal questioned as Nethial shook her head, glancing away out of shame. "Well . . . this makes my job harder then. His decay started within days of his awakening, nightmares at first but progressed slowly the more time passed. We kept journals on each of the clones for our own records yet none of us ever showed Amia because we feared he would destroy all of us if any more created batches were all failures.
"I tried to maintain a sense of normality with Tanui at first, providing limited comfort when he would wake us all up with his incessant screaming, but that faded quickly and we got to the point of ignoring him. Nightmares may have started as the initial stage yet they repressed themselves for a while, only to lead into the illusionary voices. He told me about some of them but I refused to listen, writing it down only as another step in the progression of decay."
"You ignored everything he said?" Nethial asked, crossing her arms and propping her head up on them as she fixated her attention on him.
Gregal sighed, nodding. "Yes, unfortunately. Some time after Tanui started hearing the voices, a conflict broke out among the clones. Amia was asked to deal with the problem and, although he had begun examination on the next kin of blood for a solution to the mental decay, he reluctantly requested that one of our own deal with the issue. As to be expected, we let the 'best' copy take care of the situation, only to have him return more unhinged then before. While we suspected the killing of others had something to do with his change in mannerisms and even behavior, there was no way to prove such. Our only hope came when he was reassigned to a secret facility with nine others . . . the ruins of the she-dragon Misery's lab where the original hybrid had spent three months there prior to his death.
"Due to the relocation, we were unable to figure out the change in his behavior and spent months trying everything to get him to come back just for some tests. Amia had been training him in secret during this time and, when we did get a chance to see him, we could tell the days had not been kind. His mental state had deteriorated greatly and he finally lost control during one psyche evaluation with me . . . I still remember the haunted look in his eyes right before he threw me into a wall, witnessing firsthand the veins that crept along his left temple . . ."
"Veins? You saw them?" Nethial pressed as she inched closer to the edge of the table to better see his reaction. She had witnessed the veining on several occasions during Tanui's imprisonment but had never thought much about it until now with Gregal mentioning it.
Gregal sighed before dropping his gaze, gripping the edges of the table around him so hard Nethial could hear the wood crack and split. "I did more than just see them. I was the one who made them and, under Amia's orders, implanted them into Tanui. Wraiths, they were known as, were the-"
"The souls of deceased dark-magic users and dragons who had lost their way. I know plenty about them, considering I could have been classified as one during the time between my death and Corruption's restoration of me," Nethial muttered softly, averting her gaze as she glanced over at the stacks of bound books lining the numerous shelves. "Is there any way to cure or slow the progression of the mental decay, Gregal? I'm asking this out of respect for all that you have done and just want to help as much as I can."
"Nothing stops it once it has begun. We found this out quickly with the first few clones. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help to you."
Glancing away, her eyes still on the leather books all around them, an idea came to Nethial slowly. "I understand. Can I see some of the failed designs for new limbs?" She asked as her attention returned to the clone before her.
Without so much as a glance in her direction, Gregal lifted a hand free from the table and shoved a handful of loose papers towards her telepathically, choosing to study his paled fingers instead of helping her sort through the rejected ideas. Nethial caught a glimpse of some of the designs as they fluttered to the floor, none impressing her as she watched them land on the cold stone. Releasing a pent-up sigh, she closed her eyes and reached out to the fallen sheets, whipping them up into the air as the shape came to her of what had worked and what would work once more.
She heard Gregal cough again and flinched, nearly breaking her concentration but finishing the design as quietly as she had begun. Opening her eyes, Nethial realized she was staring directly at a near replica of her former metal legs, only shorted and having an actual foot shape at the end to take the place of the steel 'talons' that had blessed her previously. In shock, she noticed that the clone had recovered and was also gazing at what she had constructed just by mental thought.
"This is beyond anything I could have created," Gregal whispered as he slid down off the table and went over to the floating pieces of paper. "The design is simple yet beautiful . . ." Reaching out, he placed a hand on a curved sheet right before him, only to jerk back as the entire structure suddenly turned to metal and fell to the floor.
"Their touch affects the objects, turning it into whatever the hybrid wishes," Nethial mused as Gregal tapped the other papered limb and turned it to metal as well, chuckling as he jumped at the sound of steel hitting stone. "Go ahead and connect them to me, you know how without being told."
Reluctant, Gregal picked up the newly created metal and Nethial flipped herself over to give him enough space to place the new limbs. The first leg slid into place easily, bending to her command almost instantly, but as they were about to attach the second one the door to the room violently flung open, scattering a few remaining papers.
Nethial hissed, jamming the stump of her natural flesh into the metallic tubing as Gregal looked back over his shoulder to see that a grey dragon lingered in the open space, its yellow irises blazing with malice and Corruption's power. Once she had control over the other steel limb, she looked up to see what was going on and first thought it was Ladetis standing there but when the scale-flier limped a step forward, she realized it was Jormundur who had come instead. She could feel the wisps of darkness rolling off of his massive frame and wondered whether Arxa had tainted him or if he had just spent too long in the presence of Corruption.
"Why are you here?" She asked, reserved as Gregal placed a trembling hand on her collarbone and slumped forward slightly.
Arxa sent me to keep an eye on you, the greyling snorted in reply, its deep voice echoing with the thrum of the shadows and sending a wave of nausea rippling through Nethial as she remembered how it had felt to wake up once more in the cold world to be left to die by the same power that had preserved her for years . . .
Cool wind brushed against her cheek, rubbing against skin she had not been clothed in for years. It had been too long since her last breath but she wasn't sure how many new ones she would be allowed to have. The cavern she found herself in was small, a quiet place that was far from any traces of civilization, yet also the perfect spot for her to be silenced again. That first breath had shaken her but she fell back into the rhythm without much difficultly, each rise and fall of her chest reminding her that she shouldn't even be alive. She had died in a war, speared through the heart by a shard of light as payment for her turning against the darkness she had originally sworn herself to out of desperation.
Her breathing quickened as shimmers of light bounded off the walls, bringing into focus a single black dragoness who blocked any light from coming into the area. Something about this wasn't right, her instincts warned, but she ignored her feelings and reached out to the beast, touching ice-cold scales. A soft hum rose from the creature and Nethial felt herself relax, realizing a moment later that the faint trace of shadows running along the body of the flier wasn't normal and seemed to be latching onto her.
Jerking back, she scrambled up against the wall behind her and then screamed, clutching her skull as it felt as if something was tearing itself out of her mind and body. With the pain dulling her senses, she collapsed to the dirt floor, curling into a ball as she heard the dragoness hiss momentarily and then fall silent, only the sound of its breathing keeping a measure of time.
Leave her, she's no use to us now. Her fragile shell only harnessed the power until a suitable host could be found. Before any word of this gets out, we must tie up a few loose ends . . .
The dragoness advanced towards her and Nethial could only scream as her very mind was shattered into pieces, fragmenting itself and reducing her to nothing. Only once that had been done did the scale-flier leave, abandoning her to reside in the small cave, a faint glimmer of blue light from the outside world dimming to nothing as Nethial blacked out . . .
Gregal's screams brought Nethial back to attention to realize that she had been drawn into a flashback at the worst possible time. She had wanted to know where Ladetis was so they could escape and go after Tanui to save him, only to regain herself to find that Jormundur had the clone that could help them in a choke hold by wrapping its tail around his neck. Scrambling off the table, she jumped down to the ground, finding her height now diminished from the six foot sense of normality she had become accustomed to with the first set of metal limbs down to four feet five inches.
"Let him go, Jormundur," she commanded as the dragon contradicted his tail, putting more pressure on Gregal's windpipe as the hybrid squirmed to try and get free. "I'm the one Arxa wants, not him. I will go with you but release him first."
Jormundur snorted in disgust before releasing his hold on Gregal a moment later, glaring at Nethial as she made sure the clone was unhurt from her lapse of consciousness. Determining that no physical harm had been done, she reluctantly followed after the greyling as he left the room, silently wondering why Ladetis hadn't tried to communicate with her during their captivity. It didn't seem like the normal concern for her had even crossed his mind but, then again, he was still suffering from the distanced mind link with Tanui.
Walking down the empty corridor with Jormundur before her, his limping gait more adjusted then she had suspected it might be with how much of his forelimb gone, Nethial reluctantly admitted to herself that her bias towards Tamli might be a bit obsessive. She had loathed him for years after Raoul's birth but maybe it was time to let her anger go and see past his abandonment. The only reason he had left was to keep her safe and to protect his dragon, a true example of the Order they had once followed before darkness had fallen upon paradise. Having heard his voice, although the body had not been his own, as he held her dying frame had brought her little comfort and had only solidified her distrust and rage even with her rebirth.
Abruptly stopping in front of two stone doors, Nethial flinched at seeing the massive carvings on the rock before them. The scene which composed the structure told of a rising darkness that would swallow the earth whole, its vengeance finally fulfilled at last. Corruption's magic had formed this through Arxa's talons since the scratches were deep and pulsing with blackness that thrummed periodically. Repressing a shudder, her gaze turned to Jormundur as he placed a foretaloned paw on the entryway, making the monument slide backwards and then break apart to allow them to pass through.
Why have you come?
Clouded white irises clashed with pitch-black scales as Arxa stood in the very center of the room, a small hallway leading off of the area off to the right of her and blocked off by something very large and unmoving. Above them was a small tunnel that stretched to the open sky, allowing in fresh air and warm sunlight, although Nethial could sense Corruption's displeasure at the heat and illumination.
She surrendered herself to me after I threatened the clone. It was quite simple, great one, Jormundur growled softly as he bowed his head and backed away, leaving Nethial and Arxa alone in the open space.
Arxa snorted in dulled interest as Nethial tried to hold herself together after Jormundur left and the sound of stone scraping against stone rattled in their ears as the massive doors swung shut. Even once they were left alone, the feelings of unease continued to torment her and put her on edge. Here she was standing inches from the darkness that had killed her and then brought her back just to be temporarily used until a better host could be located.
You seem on edge, Nethial. Why is that?
Nethial trembled, clenching her hands into fists as she glared at the new host of Corruption's magic. "You know why that is, you monster. You took my life away!"
Arxa snorted, eyes narrowing as she advanced towards Nethial. Is that so? You should thank me for destroying that pitiful so-called life you had. The corrupt were vanquished . . . leaving the pure of heart behind to start anew . . .
"The ones that were left were traumatized by your display of power and Vanz's ruthlessness. If Corruption's magic hadn't invaded then none of this would have happened! The Order was strong until the shadows came and took over everything . . ."
The Order of the Protectors was already beginning to crumble when darkness fell upon it, human. You admitted it yourself when you pledged your support to me nearly two months before the war even began.
A tremble ran up Nethial's spine as Arxa circled her, lifting her bladed tail in warning against trying anything. Glancing over at the small tunnel that lead off from the main chamber, she spotted movement from deep within the darkened area, giving her a sense that something or someone was hiding there.
"What lingers in the darkness, Arxa?"
The black dragoness snorted in amusement, bringing her snout to inches before Nethial's face. You should know from what Gregal told you. He did hear my . . . questioning and its painful effects . . .
Slowly the realization dawned on Nethial what Arxa meant and she took a step back, glancing once more towards the darkened corridor. "You didn't . . . You couldn't . . ."
Since his master broke the natural rule of no attachment, I saw no other option but to teach the fool what the consequences were . . . to the highest degree. Arxa paused, lifting her tail in the direction Nethial found her gaze drawn towards. Ladetis, would you please join us.
Deep, ragged breathing echoed from within the shadows and Nethial forced herself to swallow as the sound of chains dragging along the ground mixed in with the irregular exhalation of air. Two murky yellow irises flicked open, pupils narrowing to tiny slits as a thick mist from within the black corridor rolled out into the main area, causing Nethial to take a step back out of unease. Heavy footsteps shook the ground under her and she flinched, recoiling as pitch black scales slid out from under the darkness, linking the eyes to who the creature had once been. The dragon paused for a moment before stepping out completely into the light to reveal the remains of chains around its ankles and neck, the unbroken links, those on its legs, dragging the ground as its darkened scales glistened like solid coal. It was obvious that the scale-flier had grown much in the three days since she had seen it but Nethial was more concerned about its mental state as she could sense an intense spike of Corruption's energy around Ladetis and figured it had to have woven its power into his mind by this time, if the energy she felt was indeed radiating from his body. Large spines had grown from already impressive spikes along his back, opening at the top to leak a thin green haze that settled over his upper body while similar spikes had developed along his tail to turn it into more of an offensive weapon. His body mass had more than doubled since her last viewing of him but, as Nethial watched, Ladetis glanced at Arxa and lowered his head before the dark dragoness in submission.
I am at your command, he growled, his voice darker and deeper then Nethial had ever heard it before and she silently pitied him for having to endure what he had since their return to the mainland in search of answers for how to help Tanui.
Good, Arxa snorted, crossing over to him and coaxing him forward a few steps in the process. Your final test is to kill her. Once you have then I will see to fixing your master.
Ladetis hummed softly and Nethial swallowed, grasping the hilt of her weapon instinctively, although Gregal had given it to her seconds before she left after Jormundur for her encounter with Arxa. Within seconds, the dragon was focused on her and opened its maw to blast out a sphere of poison at her as it had done in the past. Throwing herself to the ground, Nethial drew her blade and lifted it, hoping to redirect any blast back towards the beast. She had learned from their last fight but she wasn't as sure about Ladetis due to the stress he had been under recently with his master's decline.
As she had suspected, Ladetis shot a ball of poison at her, although when she tried to reflect it the blast passed through her weapon without harm and collided with the stone right in front of her. Surprised, Nethial inched up on her elbows only to be shoved to the ground by a taloned forelimb thrust into her back. A scream tore from her lips before she could stop it and she heard Arxa snort softly as the smell of flesh burning caught her attention and she saw it was Ladetis that had her pinned to the floor from the corner of her eye. Hissing under her breath at the pain it caused her, she forced herself to relax and reached out to the dragon's mind, hoping there was something of the scale-flier that had become Tanui's partner left even with all the darkness she sensed in him.
Relax, Nethial, I know who I am, Ladetis whispered softly, almost amused by her cautiousness. Follow my lead and we will escape to find Tanui.
Nethial sighed, cringing as more acid burned her skin from the close proximity to Ladetis. He had grown skilled in his element in the three days since she had seen him last but at least his personality had not changed. She wasn't quite sure how he would take the news about what she had discovered concerning Tanui, especially since she wasn't fond of the outcome herself.
What are you waiting for? Kill her already, Arxa snarled as Ladetis dug his claws more deeply into Nethial's back.
Hissing under her breath at the pain, Nethial glanced at Ladetis to see he was conflicted and unsure about what to do. Deep in her heart, she knew he didn't want to kill her after all that had happened to both of them since they had met but she also knew just how strong the pull of Corruption's magic was. She blinked, pressing her palms against the smooth floor under her and forced herself up, hoping the distraction would be enough to settle the dragon's mind on its chosen path.
Ladetis loosened his grip on her back slowly and, within seconds, a questioning thought rippled into her mind. What are you doing?
Why are you so hesitant, Ladetis? I'm going to distract her so you can figure out what you plan to do . . .
A low snarl rippled from his throat and Nethial was shoved back onto the ground, a deep growl echoing in her skull from the enraged dragon. Let me handle this, Nethial. I have a plan, trust me.
You better act on it before Arxa kills us both, Nethial snapped back bitterly as she closed her eyes, waiting for the end to come since she knew just how low Corruption's patience level was.
Fine. Ladetis's venomous reply concerned Nethial but she ignored the feeling and instead forced herself to relax, breathing deeply.
Ladetis lifted his taloned paw from her back and turned to face Arxa, leaving Nethial to blink open her eyes and look at him to see what he was doing. She wondered silently if it was rebellion as he advanced towards the dark dragoness and stopped directly in front of her. Arxa's low snarl of malice signaled a spike in Corruption's power, making him falter for a moment before staring her directly in the eye.
I can't do it. Find someone else to slaughter innocents, Arxa. Tanui chose to walk a different path and so do I.
A feral shriek resounded through the room as Arxa sprang for him, knocking them both to the floor. Within seconds, Ladetis was pinned to the ground by her superior skill, her ivory talons poised over his wings with the intent to lash out and rip them to shreds. Nethial gasped, pushing herself up on her elbows only to have an agitated hiss sent her way before she watched fragile tissue get torn to pieces.
Disappointing me is the last mistake you will ever make, poison-wielder. Tanui is to be killed on sight for his actions and I feel you serve a fine example in your own way. From now on, you will no longer join those in the air, mutilated one. You will long to join them but the wounds on your body and in your heart will prevent that from ever occurring. Arxa lifted her bloodied talons slowly, letting him go as she stood and glanced over at Nethial. And you are but another problem that must be dealt with. Never would I have expected you to recover from the damage done to you upon your rebirth but I now see this moment as another chance to fix what went wrong years ago. Your disobedience to the darkness back then resulted in your life being ended yet the return of your fretful spirit leaves me little options as to what to do to ensure you stay dead this time.
Nethial watched as Ladetis attempted to get to his feet, only to crumble back onto the ground, snarling in pain as his eyes sought out her own. Arxa slowly advanced, her long tail swishing against the stone floor as fear overtook Nethial's resolve. She wasn't strong enough to fight against what had ended her life so violently the last time, despite whatever Tanui and Ladetis thought of her. Physical strength had never been her contribution to the Order, but she had been one for thinking on her feet.
"Leave Ladetis out of this, Arxa. This is between us, not your displeasure with the clones. Take me to do with as you wish but release Ladetis first. Once that has been done, I will submit without a fight."
What are you doing? Nethial, don't do this, Ladetis growled, glancing at her as blood seeped from his shredded wings.
There is no other way, Ladetis, Nethial snapped back. You have to be Tanui's voice of reason. Flee and find him before he causes more bloodshed. Kill him if you must; Gregal told me everything, there is no other way to reverse the mental decay done once it passes a certain point.
Arxa snorted, smoke rising from her nostrils. Fine, I'll release the weakling since he has no more value to me anymore. You, however, are a much more valuable prize.
Ladetis hissed, lunging to his feet and then shrieking, retreating a step back as Arxa turned her head to see him through the corner of her eye. A single pulse of her fear element held him in place, trapping the darkened dragon until she was ready to release him.
Gregal repaired your legs, did he not? Arxa hummed, circling around Nethial as her gaze followed the insane dragoness, unwilling to answer. He also revealed the information you wanted on the traitor clone's mental decay, correct? I suspected as much. Turning her attention to the large doors that had let Nethial into the room, Arxa hissed, tapping the ground with the end of her tail. Come, Jormundur, and bring our guest.
Nethial flinched as the doors parted once more to admit the grey dragon dragging Gregal behind him, the clone's face marred with fresh wounds that oozed blood as his body looked nearly as bad with crimson-stained cloth and deep claw marks all over. She mouthed his name silently but he passed by her without so much as looking at her and was pulled to a stop right before Arxa. Jormundur had also taken some damage, she noticed as she watched the dark dragoness stare down the clone, seeing several bloody patches along his back and sides and a deep cut to the dragon's snout. Her gaze quickly flickered to Ladetis and she saw he was watching her, a soft rumbling growl filled her mind as their eyes locked and the corners of her mouth rose into a brief smile that quickly faded.
. . . You have been branded a traitor to the clone cause. Is there anything you'd like to say before I end your life? Arxa snorted as she lifted her tail, twisting it around so that its tip was directly aimed at Gregal's heart.
"I only wish for the best of luck for those that oppose your tyranny, parasite," Gregal commented before Arxa thrust her tail into him, ripping out his heart and then letting his body fall to the ground.
Ladetis's shriek of malice echoed Nethial's yell as they both ran towards Arxa, only to get blasted backwards into the door by a wind gust from Jormundur as he turned to face them, snorting in amusement. Ignoring their wounds, Nethial climbed up onto Ladetis as he got back onto his feet, leaping up onto the wall beside them and jumping from wall to wall until they leapt from the ceiling above the room out into the open area above it.
Brown rock, worn by years of wind battering against it, gave away under Ladetis's claws and they quickly began to slide down the high slope, jumping over to another high cliff to scan the surrounding area. They had exited into a mountainous terrain, some peaks touching the clouds while others gradually sloped downward around the other edges of the area. Letting Nethial keep an eye out for Arxa or Jormundur, Ladetis quickly scaled another cliff and ducked under an overhang feet away, allowing them both a moment to rest as his wounds twinged with pain.
We escaped, he remarked as Nethial panted, bending over to better catch her breath. Where to now? I can't fly . . . anymore.
We have to find Tanui. Crossing this mountain range might be the best thing for us now. I never realized how nimble you were though. Impressive climbing.
I never knew either but it served us well. Shall we continue?
Nethial nodded and quickly returned to his back, letting him use the rock around them to travel towards wherever Tanui could be by now.
