"I think she's waking up." A voice said from the darkness.
Lyara groaned quietly as her eyelids began to flutter. Her body ached all over. The first thing she noticed was that she was moving. As her eyes opened and began to focus, she felt the steady gait stop. Wherever she was it was warm, and she almost simply closed her eyes once more. Finding some modicum of resolve, she clung to her consciousness. The dragoness tried to speak, but found her mouth dry. She licked her lips trying to generate some moisture.
"Please don't do that." Taelas said his back scales twitching as the side of her tongue made contact.
The sound of his voice made the dragoness take pause as she began to realize just where she was resting. She was lying on his back, his violet scales only inches from one of her eyes. In her stupor she'd inadvertently licked him.
Lyara felt the blood rush to her face as she immediately pushed herself upward. The sudden movement made the violet dragon jerk as he tried to keep his balance under the suddenly restless dragoness. It proved useless however as Lyara was too startled to keep her balance. In a mess of scales and talons she toppled over, the mossy dirt rushing up to meet her.
She lay on her back, her previous aches only further exaggerated by her fall. Looking up she saw the others gathered around her. Each looked concerned, aside from Syra who wore her usual scowl.
"Quite the landing." Aria grinned as the dragoness quickly rolled over and started to stand. She looked at Taelas who seemed unsure of what to say. "Sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it." He replied finding his words when he needed them. "How are you feeling?"
"A bit sore, but I think I'm alright." Lyara replied gingerly shaking her limbs to make sure nothing was broken. "The last thing I remember was killing a mutant then falling." She said feeling a dull pain on the side of her skull. Looking around she found that they were in the bog once again. The moon was now high in the sky making her guess she'd been passed out for a few hours. "What's going on?" She asked finally.
"My grandfather wants to verify that the ape's village is no longer a threat." Ryn explained. It was only then that Lyara noticed other dragons pacing past them. While it couldn't be called an army, at least fifty of them were trekking through the bog.
"We need to deal with the focal point so we decided to join." Taelas explained.
"And you carried me all the way here?" Lyara asked.
"Well I got you to the gate." Ivarik chimed in proudly. "But Taelas insisted that I have a break."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be such a burden." Lyara apologized. She looked over the group seeing the wounds that each sported. It seemed they would all live, but she imagined each would carry scars from the fighting, physical and mental. She hung her head looking dejected.
"Hey, now isn't the time for that." Taelas chirped. "We all came out alive, once the focal point is dealt with, I think that's maybe even cause for celebration."
"I should be the one taking charge here, I drug you all into this, the least I could do is keep from passing out in the middle of a siege." Lyara said idly.
Syra snorted at the comment as she turned from the group and continued along with the other dragons that were steadily passing them by. Watching her go Aria turned to Lyara giving her a small smile. "I'm glad you're alright. Try not to dwell on it, no one is blaming you." She said quickly before tugging on Ivarik. The two left to catch up with the fire dragoness.
"This isn't your problem alone." Taelas added as he nudged the dragoness. "You know that."
"Regardless, you helped save a lot of dragons." Ryn argued. "Try not to be so hard on yourself."
Lyara nodded giving a meager smile in return. "Thanks, I appreciate it."
"Then perhaps you'd consider a favor?" Ryn asked, drawing curious looks from both dragons. The earth drake looked around for a moment. "Come on." He said thrusting his head towards the others. "They'll leave us behind at this rate."
"Can you walk?" Taelas asked the dragoness. "If not, I can carry you."
"Thanks, but I think I'll be alright." Lyara responded feeling a faint heat in her cheeks as she considered what had just happened.
"That's good, you were a bit heavy you know." Taelas smirked.
"Taelas!" The dragoness snapped, and slapped his foreleg with the back of her claws.
"Oh come on, I carried you all the way here, don't I get at least one?" The dragon pleaded as he chuckled.
Lyara huffed and turned away from him. "Just one." She said feeling resigned. "But I am not overweight." She added curtly.
"Duly noted." Taelas said rolling his eyes as the three began to walk.
"So Ryn, this favor, what is it?" Lyara asked as she eyed the dragon curiously.
The earth drake sighed as he considered how to broach the topic. The waiting only made the two dragons all the more inquisitive. "I'm curious about why you all are here." He finally stated. "I mean, I'm grateful for your help, we all are. It's just, this focal point. It seems like more than just a trivial matter."
"Oh." Taelas said a bit awkwardly. He'd nearly forgotten that the locals hadn't truly been clued in on why they were around. Kalim knew the most, and even the story he'd gotten had been brief. "Lyara?" He asked turning to the silver dragoness.
"I don't know that you want to get involved with our task Ryn." The dragoness said. "It would surely be a weight on your mind and nothing more."
"Well I don't know about that." Ryn argued. The dragon idly looked around the swamp then. "I was going to ask if I could help."
"You want to help?" Taelas asked cocking a brow in surprise.
"You helped us, maybe more than you realize. I don't expect the village will all pitch in, but I at least could go with you."
"You may change your mind once you hear the whole story." Taelas explained.
"Perhaps." Ryn said turning back to the purple drake. "But if this is as serious as you're making it sound, you'll need all the help you can get."
Taelas sighed as he turned tired eyes to Lyara. "He isn't wrong."
Lyara shrugged. "I do have to wonder if the other focal points will be equally troublesome. Still, I don't know that I want to involve more dragons."
"Well he's certainly capable." Taelas replied. The dragon stole a quick glance at Ryn who cocked his head. "Seems dependable enough." Taelas continued.
"While I'm flattered, you know I can hear you right?" Ryn asked. The green scaled dragon shook his head as he was promptly ignored. The two began to whisper, Ryn could hardly make out the words. The surrounding sounds of the bog doing much to overwhelm their conversation. He did pick out certain words that piqued his curiosity further, things like, duty, risk, death. Much as he wanted to interject, he bit his tongue and kept silent for a time.
"Sorry about that." Taelas said a few minutes later as he turned back to Ryn. The earth dragon faced him seeing a kind smile. Lyara looked a bit annoyed, but hardly upset.
"Come to a conclusion?" The earth dragon asked wondering what to make of the mixed signals.
"We've decided-
"You've." Lyara said cutting Taelas off. "I'd prefer not to drag anyone else to their potential doom."
Taelas shrugged. "I've decided, despite Lyara's nervous nature-
The purple dragon paused as he felt Lyara's tail slap into his side. "I've decided that if you want to come with us, we'd be happy to have you." Taelas finished.
"Great!" Ryn beamed.
"However." Taelas said, curtailing his excitement. "We want you to know what you are getting into. If you want to back out afterwards, you're more than welcome to. You should know that if you come with us your life will most likely be in jeopardy. Even I as a purple dragon can't guarantee your safety."
"Understood." Ryn answered. The statement was sobering for him. He had to wonder what could be so dangerous that even a purple dragon was anxious.
"To start, tell us what you know already." Taelas prompted.
"Well." Ryn started as he thought back to any relevant information he'd learned in the past few days. "There are these things called focal points that need to be dealt with."
"That it?" Taelas asked after a moment having expected more. Even Lyara turned a curious look on the emerald dragon.
Ryn felt a small chill run through him, embarrassed to have so little to say. He struggled for a moment before something else came to mind. "Lyara is actually really old." He said somewhat proudly as he remembered what he'd been told a few days prior.
The answer was so unexpected Taelas burst into a small bout of laughter. The silver dragoness scowled and slapped him across the back of his head, but the purple dragon still took a moment to settle down.
"A fact best kept to yourself." Taelas replied finally. "Seems we'll need to tell you some things. We still have some time before we reach the ape's village. What do you say Lyara, would you like to explain it?"
"I don't know, I'm so old I might ramble if I tell it." Lyara replied obviously still hung up.
"Don't be like that." Taelas said stopping as he turned to her. The purple dragon placed a paw on top of hers taking her by surprise. Lyara looked up a bit flustered at how close he was. Taelas smiled at her. "You're the you're the youngest looking, most petite, two-thousand-year-old dragoness I know."
While his comment had begun playfully, by the end his tone had struck a certain note of sincerity. Lyara blushed slightly and turned away pulling her paw from his. She rolled her eyes trying to play it off as she sighed. "Fine." She said putting on an exasperated tone. "Listen carefully Ryn." She started as they began to walk again.
Clove eyed Kalim as the two walked side by side. The ape couldn't deny his uneasiness. His two guards had been brought back to his side as well. Together the three apes were completely surrounded by the entourage of dragons.
"I know the numbers our village has to offer." Clove said breaking the silence. "Falk likely brought every able-bodied male. All you'll find in our village is women and children."
"I would hope so." Kalim replied. "Worry not ape, once we see that there is no threat, we'll leave you to your swamp."
"Believe it or not, I am grateful." Clove added. "Much as it pains me to admit it."
"I sense that our feelings about each other are mutual." Kalim answered without bothering to face the elder. "It would be best to simply stay away from each other."
"You've my word that for as long as I live, I'll dissuade the others from making fool hardy mistakes such as this."
"That's what worries me." Kalim mumbled under this breath as he considered Clove's very aged appearance. "You think your people will still accept you as their leader?" The dragon asked raising his voice again.
"I can explain that a truce was called." Clove answered.
"You'll lie to them then?" Kalim surmised.
"Some lies are in the people's best interest." The elder sighed. "They don't need to know the details of what happened today."
"And the two that walk beside you?" The dragon asked eyeing the two young warriors.
"If I didn't trust them, they never would have been allowed to come with me." Clove said smiling at the two who grinned at the thought of being acknowledged.
"We're getting close now." Clove said after several more minutes of walking in silence.
As if on cue, Ryn dashed up beside the two drawing their attention. "We're almost there." He said looking at them both. As the pair stared at him tiredly the green dragon cocked his head, not realizing he had repeated information. "Lyara thinks she can sense it but we wanted to be safe. Where is this focal point at?" He continued looking to Clove.
"Due east." The ape replied pointing a boney finger towards the swamp.
"She really can tell." Ryn said seemingly astonished. "I'm going with the others to have a look." He said shortly as he peeled away from the two. Kalim watched as he rejoined the other young dragons and together, they made off into the bog.
"You truly believe they can stifle that energy well?" Clove asked watching them go.
"The silver one." Kalim said idly, his eyes focusing on Lyara. "She claims she can close it."
"But do you believe her?" Clove pressed.
"Her tale is hard to digest." Kalim replied turning back to the ape.
"An ancient walking among us is certainly not something one sees every day." Clove said.
"She told you then?"
"We had a discussion yes." Clove replied getting some small satisfaction in surprising the red drake. "If the old tales are true, dragons and apes both used to command far more dominion over magic and convexity. She may know more than we think."
"But why was one so young preserved for such a time?" Kalim asked more to himself than the ape.
"I'd imagine she knows the details to your question. Perhaps you should ask her."
"It isn't my place to do so." Kalim replied. "Besides she wears the face of one scarred by her memories. Best not to open up old wounds."
"You noticed as well?"
"It's a common sight among those who spent their lives in war." Kalim answered. "It's one of the few things that binds even us together."
There was a pause in their conversation as the group broke through the tree line to see a village sprawling out before them. There were many buildings made of sticks and stone. Smoke plumed from some of the huts and around the area young apes and mothers roamed freely through the muck covered paths.
Kalim scanned the area seeing little threat in any direction. He was mildly surprised by the size of the settlement. He'd always assumed the apes in the swamp were kept in check by the local beasts. It seemed however that in their relatively brief time they had thrived in such a locale.
"As you can see, naught left but women and children." Clove said breathing a sigh of relief as apes began to nervously approach the group. He hadn't been completely sure that Falk had brought everyone to bear against the dragons, but was thankful that his instinct had been correct.
"Seems you were telling the truth ape." Kalim said feeling the fearful looks of the citizens before him. "Shame really." He said quietly.
Clove's brow furled at the words and as he turned to face the red dragon, he felt a sharp stabbing pain in the back of his skull. The elder didn't have time to realize what had happened, he was already dead before he began to fall.
Kalim wasted no time in retracting his tail before turning on the two young guards. Fire blasted forth from his maw incinerating the two. Their screams only lasting seconds before they succumbed.
There were cries from the gathering citizens as they slowly made sense of the sudden deaths. Kalim turned a heated glare on them and they began to shout and scatter. "Level the village, kill any you find!" He shouted so the other dragons could hear him.
The other dragons in the warband roared and bounded forward into the town as Kalim watched. "Never again." He muttered as he stalked forward.
In the distance Ryn thought he heard a roar. The dragon paused for a moment drawing looks from the others. "You hear that?" He asked looking around to the group.
"Nothing but bugs and frogs." Aria answered looking around.
"And Lyara's belabored retelling of our adventure until now." Ivarik said with a smile.
"Would you like to tell it?" Lyara asked with a snort.
"Don't mind him, he's just upset because you described your first impression of him as 'puny'." The azure dragoness laughed.
"I had a lot on my mind." Ivarik argued. "A certain someone had just bit the dust, or so we thought."
"Well I appreciated your bravery." Aria said bumping against him. "Ancestors know I wasn't in any position to think straight." She paused for a moment as she considered that day. It occurred to her then that she could only be so light hearted because things had turned out as they had. She couldn't imagine what state she would be in if Taelas hadn't gotten back up.
"You make it sound like it was my fault." Taelas said rolling his eyes.
"Well whose idea was it to go down there?" Ivarik remarked.
As the dragons continued to nonchalantly bicker Ryn sighed and listened again. He was surprised to see them so relaxed, but he could hardly blame them. The past few days had been nothing but tension. Based on the story he'd heard so far, they had been subjected to peril even before they'd arrived as well.
Now that the battle was over, they were free to act normally again. In the short time since they'd arrived Taelas and his group of friends had seemed mostly serious. Ryn was starting to realize that it may have been merely that the situation demanded it of them. In any case he was happy to see them loosen up a bit.
"A dragon's roar, right?" Syra inquired coming up next to the contemplative earth drake.
"You heard it too?" Ryn asked not having expected her question. He hadn't had much interaction with Syra. From what he could tell she had a chip on her shoulder. She was somewhat careful about showing her reasons in front of Taelas, but Ryn was perceptive enough to piece it together. It was clear each time the fire dragoness glared at Lyara, or rolled her eyes when she thought no one was looking.
"It sounded like it came from the village. But I may have imagined it." Syra said staring back at the direction they'd come from. It was already noisy and the landscape of the swamp distorted sound even further.
"You don't think…" Ryn trailed off slowly.
Syra shrugged. "You would know the ape's strength better than me." She replied. "But I think Clove was being truthful when he said the forces we saw were everything they had."
Ryn nodded. "You're probably right." He looked back to the others who were beginning to settle down. He once again noted the wounds that each dragon sported. Visible injuries aside he knew that they were each tired and aching. The only ones who seemed to have any real energy were Taelas and Lyara. The purple dragon's stamina didn't shock him, but he did have to wonder what was keeping Lyara standing. She'd been passed out only a half hour ago but already seemed back in form.
"Besides." He shrugged. "I think most of us wouldn't be worth much anyway."
"We can double back afterwards just to be safe." Syra said with a kind smile.
"Thanks." Ryn answered returning the grin. "You didn't have to do that, but I'm glad you did."
"Do what?" Syra asked in confusion.
"Reassure me." Ryn answered. Noticing that the others were proceeding onward he bumped his hips into hers playfully before moving along. "And you should smile more often, you're cuter that way."
The dragoness blinked as she felt her temperature flare slightly. She breathed a tuft of fire as if to expel the excess heat before quickly walking past Ryn to catch the rest of the group. She kept from making eye contact with him as she passed, holding her chin high.
Ryn smiled to himself before looking back to the others. "Alright, so Taelas almost died, but I'm getting the sense that isn't too uncommon." He said breaking up their chatter.
"Hey!" The purple dragon objected.
"See, he barely knows you and even he sees it." Lyara said haughtily. "You're a danger to yourself."
"Just continue the story." Taelas remarked hanging his head in defeat.
Lyara snickered and did just that. There wasn't too much left to tell short of their battle with Sol and Arum in Warfang. As Lyara was finishing up the tale something caught her eye. A purplish hue bathed her scales and she peered through the tree line to see a mass of convulsing energy its core. The ground nearby had turned to broken purple rock. The trees and plants had been blown backwards creating a clearing.
As the group entered the area the swamp seemed to fall silent around them. It was jarring how quickly the atmosphere had changed. Ryn watched with some surprise as each of the young dragons grow solemn once more. His grandfather had disciplined him to put aside petty issues or feelings when the situation required it, but until now he'd never met others his own age who did the same. Given the group's history however he figured he shouldn't be too surprised.
"What is going on here?" Ivarik asked kicking up dust from the crusty environment.
"Convexity is leaking through the focal point." Lyara explained. "Given enough time it would slowly remake this entire world."
"Almost makes you feel bad for Sol and Arum being stuck in a place like this." Aria said as she took in the barren landscape.
"They were aware of the details when they took their oath." Lyara replied, although even she looked around with disdain at the environment.
"So, this is the focal point, but what do we do now?" Ryn asked.
"Good question." Taelas said, seemingly entranced by the energy well. "Lyara?"
"I'll need to reseal it." She said taking a deep breath.
"And you know how to do that?" Aria asked looking a little concerned.
"More or less." The dragoness responded as she paced forward. She jerked back however as Taelas' crimson wing unfurled in front of her.
"More, or less?" He repeated questioningly as the dragoness stared him down.
Lyara sighed. "I know how, but there is a catch."
"What do you mean a catch?" Ivarik asked nervously.
"When these were sealed the last time, it was done by a group of dragons and the purple dragon before my time. In order to seal the focal point, you have to make a connection with it. That means letting convexity flow through you."
"But that's something you can do right?" Taelas asked. "I mean we've watched you manipulate the energy before."
"In small amounts yes." Lyara nodded. "But do you know why I passed out in the city?"
Taelas didn't answer, but instead looked to Syra. The rosy dragoness met his gaze and thought for a moment. "She overused her abilities." She stated flatly.
"In short, there is a limit to what I can do." Lyara clarified. "After what happened with Sol and Arum the dragons of my time focused on allowing me control, but put a curse in place to keep my powers in check."
"Curses now? Isn't this getting a little farfetched?" Ryn questioned. The others looked at him and he shrugged. "I know I'm the new one, but at some point, you have to start to wonder."
"You're right to doubt." Lyara said easily. "Based on what I've seen I can't blame you. It seems much of the knowledge dragons once had has been lost. Malefor's war certainly took its toll. Believe it or not, our kind were once far more in tune with the arcane. They used that prowess to manipulate many things, including me."
"For now, let's put that aside." Taelas said causing Ryn to purse his lips, he wanted so desperately for her to elaborate on the subject. "She's given us no reason to believe she's lying yet."
"What will happen when you hit that limit?" Aria asked.
"Under normal circumstances the source of convexity would likely run dry before any real damage was dealt. In this case however, it is nearly limitless, if I can't keep the flood of energy back it would likely destroy me." Lyara answered grimly.
"And just when were you going to tell us this?" Taelas asked clearly upset. "Seems it would be a bit too late with you dead on the ground!"
Lyara flinched at the biting words. "With everything that's been happening it hasn't been at the forefront of my mind." She answered weakly.
"For once, you are lying." Taelas growled. "You've been thinking ever since you got out of that crystal. I can't believe you'd ignore such a critical flaw with this plan."
"What did you want me to say?" Lyara asked raising her voice. The other dragons looked back and forth between them. They all felt a bit awkward, like they were watching a couple argue.
"I wanted you to trust us." Taelas shot back.
"I do trust you." Lyara argued.
"Given the circumstances I'd have to disagree." Taelas muttered.
"Look Taelas, I just…" The dragoness trailed off as she sighed. The others looked at her expectantly unsure what to make of it. "Just let me do this and afterwards I'll tell you all everything."
"Everything?" Taelas asked slightly unsure of what she meant.
"All of it, my past, about Sol and Arum, how I got here, everything." Lyara answered. "You're right, I've been keeping things to myself, but it's time to do away with it."
"I don't know what to say." Taelas replied clumsily, he'd expected a fight and nothing more. This was a new, but welcome, turn of events.
"Just say that you trust me." Lyara pleaded. "I know what I'm doing here."
Taelas paused for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I trust you." He said finally. "But if something goes wrong, I'm coming over there."
Lyara smiled at the thought. "Noted." She said happily. She turned her red eyes on the others who had been quietly observing. "As for the rest of you, don't come near the focal point. Taelas could manage, but I don't know how a non-purple dragon with no magical prowess would be effected."
"Just be careful." Aria said worriedly. Ivarik draped a comforting wing across her back then.
"Don't worry, this will be over before you know it." Lyara said feigning confidence as she turned around. In truth she wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The elders had explained how the focal points had been sealed. However, explanation and practice were two very different things.
The dragoness paced closer to the rift until she was standing next to it. She took a deep breath and reached out her claws. As soon as her talon touched the energy, she saw her scales beginning to tint. She felt a surge of energy rush through her body and she closed her eyes to focus.
Much like when she'd untangled the energy that was strangling the life from Taelas she could see strands of purple light floating before her. The weave of convexity was minimal in their plane, but constant. Where the focal point had burst forth was a tangle in the threads. A knotted mess of energy that was belching forth even more stands steadily making a mess out of the surroundings.
Lyara did her best to focus on the task at hand as she began to manipulate the strands to the best of her ability. As she worked to undo the damage, she could feel herself growing numb. She cursed as she realized the residual energy was already starting to accumulate within her. She would only have so much time. Her ancestors had managed to perform this feat only as a group, she had to hope the knowledge she'd gained from them would compensate.
As she pressed on in her work, she felt herself growing weary. Her movements were beginning to slow. She could feel her life slowly draining as more convexity pooled within her. As she pushed forward her thoughts turned to the others. She had to wonder what they were seeing at this point. Shaking her head, Lyara sighed happily as she placed the last strand of energy in place. She'd fixed the tangled strands however in its place was now the real problem. In her mind's eye she could see the focal point, a tear in the fabric, until it was sealed nothing would change.
"You think she's okay?" Ryn asked, his eyes still trained on Lyara.
"It's been nearly fifteen minutes." Aria commented. The now purple dragoness hadn't moved a muscle since she'd touched the focal point.
"Come to think of it we didn't ask how long it would take." Ivarik added.
"I doubt she knows anyway." Syra scoffed drawing a look of contempt from Aria.
"I think she's making progress." Taelas said looking around the area.
"How can you tell?" Ryn asked.
"The air, it felt like soup when we got here, but now, it's like it's thinning." Taelas answered struggling to describe the feeling.
"What are you talking about, it's a bit humid, but otherwise normal." Ivarik replied making Taelas shrug.
"It's probably something only those in tune with convexity can feel." Aria answered. "In short purple dragons."
"Typical." Ivarik said rolling his eyes. "You always were strange Taelas."
"Wait." The violet drake said cutting off their chatter. He peered at Lyara. The air around her was shimmering from the focal point, but he could swear she was wobbling.
His fears were confirmed a moment later when she stumbled slightly before recovering. The dragoness coughed and Taelas could see a bit of crimson lining her lips.
"Something's wrong." Taelas murmured. "Stay here."
"Taelas you can't go over there!" Aria shouted trying to stop him.
"You heard what she said, a purple dragon should be fine." Taelas argued. "Just stay here, I'll be fine."
Before any further argument could be made, he darted forward towards Lyara. Her scales were turning darker shades of purple even as he arrived.
"Lyara?" The dragon called out a bit skeptically. He was hardly surprised when she didn't move.
Hesitantly, he reached out his jet-black talons towards her. He stopped mere inches from her scales as he noticed blood dribbling from her snout. The dragon pursed his lips and took a deep breath, pressing his talons against her scales.
Unsure of what exactly would happen, the dragon nearly jumped as energy hummed from her body to his. At first the sensation was strange, and as it mounted; he felt his body begin to ache. His brain likened it to some of the more grievous electrical shocks he'd endured over the years of sparring with Ivarik.
Taking another deep breath, the purple dragon tried to steady himself. Spyro had taught him little of convexity or how to harness it. He'd claimed that one day when he was older, he'd be taught to handle the destructive force. With little understanding of what he could do the dragon simply let the energy wash over him. He watched with a tinge of hope as Lyara's scales began to drain of color, reverting back their lustrous silver.
In her mind, Lyara found herself perking up. She couldn't explain why, but she felt as if a fog were lifting. She scoffed as she quickly rifled through the possibilities and only one answer came to mind.
"Ancestors, he truly is thoughtless." She mumbled as she pressed on into her work. Despite herself she felt a small smile creep onto her lips as she weaved the threads of convexity back together around the gaping hole in dimensions.
She worked as diligently as she could, knowing that it was likely Taelas could only hold out for a short time. As the last threads fell into place she sighed in relief. It seemed as though the focal point had been enveloped back into the fabric of reality. Closing her eyes, she began to wake.
Lyara's eyes snapped open and she felt a paw on her side. She ignored it as she watched the last of the spinning energy before her crumple and dissipate entirely. Looking to her own scales she found them only a light shade of lavender. She breathed a heavy sigh as she finally turned to Taelas who'd let his paw drop. The dragoness gasped in surprise when she saw him. The purple dragon's normally dark complexion had far surpassed its normal hue, edging onto black.
"Ancestors." The dragoness whispered her mouth agape as she watched bits of stray purple lightning zip across his scales.
"Lyara!" Aria called from some distance away.
The silver dragoness turned to see the others approaching. "Stop!" She shouted making them all freeze. "Stay back for a bit."
"Is he alright?" Aria asked.
"Just stay put." Lyara answered as she turned her attention back to Taelas. "You need to release that energy Taelas, or it will tear you apart." She growled.
"Don't, know, how." The dragon managed through his clenched jaw. His entire body felt heavy. There was a ringing in his ears and time felt slow.
"What do you mean you don't know how?" Lyara questioned shaking her head. After a second it dawned on her. Despite being a purple dragon, she'd never seen him use convexity in battle. She'd never thought much of it, assuming that he would only use such a power in truly desperate circumstances. "Oh, you idiot. Taelas I can't believe you!" She hissed.
"Not the time." Taelas managed to sputter.
"Right." The dragoness said thinking as quickly as she could. She could only hope that purple dragons harnessed the energy the same way she did. With a quick nudge she turned the drake towards the empty expanse of swamp.
"Alright, breath attacks." She started her voice a bit flustered. "You know how to use all four elements this should be easy. When you use an element, you invoke thoughts of it in your mind, correct?"
It had been some time since she had an element of her own, and she hoped she was recalling the methods the elders had taught her correctly. Taelas nodded and she felt a wave of relief wash over her.
"Alright, instead of considering an element you need to focus on the energy within you." She said drawing a curious and also worried look from Taelas. Clearly, he hadn't understood. "What you feel right now is an overwhelming power within you, right?" She asked, getting a nod in response.
The dragoness smiled; happy that she was on the right track. "Alright, focus on that, the same way lightning dragons can direct currents or earth dragons can make fissures in a certain direction, focus that power towards your throat."
Taelas did as he was told, hoping against hope that he was interpreting it correctly. A dragon learning to use their normal element for the first time often proved dangerous, and sometimes even disastrous. He could only hope he'd have luck on his side when harnessing this force.
"Once you think you have it open your mouth and breathe." Lyara said. "But stay focused, no matter what happens don't let it overwhelm you."
Taelas grit his teeth as he struggled against the energy. As he began to believe he had a grasp on it the dragon opened his jaw slightly. In a split second his maw was forced wide and a pulsing beam of purple energy blasted forth. Taelas' eyes widened as he began to flinch from the sudden destructive discharge. Before he could truly react, he felt Lyara's paw on his side.
"Steady." She called in a calm voice over the hum of the attack.
For a solid ten seconds the beam threw carnage across the swamp. Taelas wondered just what he would see once the energy died off. As the last of the excess power left him the dragon felt sapped. He closed his mouth as the beam tapered off.
He heard Lyara sigh in relief immediately falling onto her haunches. Taelas blinked as he stared out at the landscape before him. A swath of the swamp had been completely culled. Nearly half a mile of land rendered completely barren by his attack. The dragon fell back on his hind legs, still awestruck. For several moments the world seemed to pass him by.
"Taelas!" Aria shouted for a third time finally pulling the dragon from his trance.
The purple dragon looked at her curiously and she breathed a heavy sigh as she crashed into him wrapping her neck around his. "What were you thinking?" She sobbed.
"It's okay Aria. I'm not going anywhere. Promise." Taelas answered quietly.
"It isn't okay, mom asked me to protect you and I just…" The dragoness trailed off.
"Aria look at me." Taelas said, pushing her back slightly. "It's all okay." The dragoness didn't answer, she didn't know how to.
"While I'd normally agree with you Aria…" Lyara started as she stood back up. She seemed weak, her limbs shaking with each movement. "In this case I owe him my life."
"Then you couldn't handle it?" Ivarik asked.
"Much as it pains me to admit." Lyara answered with a frown. "My own limitations prevent me from absorbing so much loose energy."
"Then we'll just have to work on the other two together." Taelas concluded with a small smile. "It's how things should be."
Syra exhaled sharply at the comment, but she hid it well enough that no one truly noticed. Lyara in turn smiled slightly. "Typical." She said trying to hide her grin.
Cassius looked out across the city streets with a sense of satisfaction. His purple orbs gleamed in the fading daylight. Throughout the area were other members of the order. Most were milling about, while others escorted wounded and more still ushered those who wouldn't comply away from the area.
The fire dragon felt good about what they'd accomplished today. Another district of Warfang was under their control. He'd had to fight and even kill a few dragons to ensure that their hold stuck, but it had been worth it.
"Cassius." Valas said from behind him.
"What is it?" The dragon asked, sounding a bit annoyed already. He'd wanted to simply soak in the victory a bit longer.
"The area's been secured. We've swept for any resistance, but they've all been captured, killed, or run off." Valas explained in an even tone. The sights today didn't phase him in the slightest, exactly what Cassius had expected from the warrior.
"Seems like a favorable result." The fire dragon replied.
"I wanted to talk to you as well." Valas interjected before the dragon could continue.
Cassius finally turned to look at the massive dragon with narrowed eyes. Valas met his gaze, those purple orbs drawing his eyes and his worry, although he did well to keep a stony face.
"I saw you during the fighting today." Valas said bluntly.
"Here to stand in awe of me then?" Cassius asked with a confident grin.
Valas scowled in response, but it didn't seem to bother the youth. "Don't you think you were a bit overzealous?" Valas asked recalling the events he'd witnessed. The fire dragon had led the charge into the district. When they naturally encountered resistance, Cassius hadn't hesitated to maim and kill any in his way.
Valas was no stranger to violence, he'd fought in many battles over the years, killed many, dragons included. However, he couldn't help but feel a bit worried for the fire breather. Only a few weeks before he'd been a somewhat cocky young dragon, but mostly innocent. As Valas stared down the violet orbs before him he knew he was looking into the eyes of a dragon changed.
"Overzealous?" Cassius snorted. "Should I have exchanged pleasantries instead?"
"Self-defense is one thing, but are you sure this is the path you want to take?" Valas asked ignoring his sarcasm. "This is only the first bit of blood that will stain your talons."
"You're one to talk." Cassius laughed. "A war veteran and a mercenary to boot. I can't imagine the amount of blood on your claws."
"I've chosen my path in life already." Valas growled. "You should learn from those that came before you."
"Somehow I don't think there's much to learn from you." Cassius snickered. Despite himself he still flinched as Valas took a threatening step forward. For a brief moment, he felt his fears manifest before he buried them again. He reminded himself that he had no reason to be scared with such power at his disposal.
"You once asked me if this would be a war." Valas remarked. "You had terror in your eyes then. Now that war has arrived, I see nothing but revelry."
"Perhaps I simply considered what's important. These battles are for the gods, they will lead us through this."
"They've changed you." Valas grunted. "Can't you see it?"
"Of course I can you idiot!" Cassius snapped. Valas recoiled slightly at the sudden outburst. "I'd have to be blind not to. You seem to think I've lost my mind."
"Have you?" Valas asked eyes narrowing.
"Careful now." Cassius murmured dangerously as he stared the dragon down. "The gods gave me guidance, power to achieve what I wanted all along."
"Power has a way of changing a dragon." Valas countered.
"I-
Cassius found himself cut off as another dragon swept down next to him. Neither recognized the newcomer and turned to him with scowls and scrutiny.
The blue scaled drake shrunk down slightly, but managed to speak regardless. "The gods have sent for you Cassius." He sputtered looking to his claws.
"And who are you?" Cassius asked doubtfully making the dragon swish his tail nervously.
"Just a messenger. There was no one else around." The male explained quickly. "They said it was urgent."
Cassius' demeanor seemed to relax then and the messenger was very thankful for that. The fire dragon nodded. "I'll go right away, thank you."
The azure drake nodded and immediately took to the skies again. Cassius watched him go before turning back to Valas. "Now isn't the time to question boons." The orange dragon said as he opened his wings. "If power is afforded to you, then you utilize it."
Before Valas could answer he took off leaving the large lightning dragon alone. Silently, Valas wondered just what the gods had done to the youth when they met. It seemed to him that some investigation would be in order.