Chapter Forty
You ARE the Savior of All Dragons. You Were Chosen Because You. Are. Me.
Sweat beading on Ethan's forehead glistened in the sunlight streaking through Nina's open bedroom balcony. Flower sweetened summer evening breezes pushed around thin lacy curtains. Metal glinted. Ethan turned, steadied his breath as he brought both of his swords out in front of him. Magic spidered down his fingertips into the hilts. "Casting, melee..." Tiny flames flickered to life on his weapons with a twitch of his brow. "It is difficult for most to concentrate on both at the same time." The corner of his mouth rose impishly at the flames he'd birthed licking at his blades. "But I've gotten it. Father is impressed." He glanced over at Nina sitting at the edge of her bed with her legs bouncing, seemingly staring through him. "Nina, are you listening? Father actually told me he was that word. 'Impressed' can you believe it?"
The princess absently took a bite out of one of the crude triangular cut sandwiches Lucious had made for them. Cucumber and tomato. More often than not she'd choose these over things by her own appointed chefs. Heavy lashed -due to makeup and Chasta- amber continued to study her guardian, wondering how the Goddess his eyes could become so dark and smoldering when he looked at her like that- Chasta dug her elbow into her ribs. "Huh?" Nina chirped, snapping out of her trance and almost taking the rest of her food down in one painful gulp. "Oh-cough-uh Ethan yes, th-that's great!"
"If you're done staring, your highness, maybe now you can listen to him properly."
Embarrassed fists turned onto her handmaiden. "Chasta shut up!"
Wearing that smile Nina loved so much, Ethan whispered a chant conjuring winds beneath his boots. He lifted gracefully into the air, twirling blades shimmering with the setting sun and his flames in tangent with the dance his lithe form was performing. Wings spread, muscular limbs stretched; she watched him near the cathedral ceiling-
-and plummet back down a glowing pile of twisted Ethan shaped meat screaming for gods sakes to get this suit off of him! on the floor in front of her.
Nina stopped in her tracks. Drogen spread out around her, a complicated mess of fading ancient magic crackling against her skin. Every little hair on her body stood on end, every joint tensed.
She was still in Drogen, right? Right.
Be on your guard, he knows you've had very little time to process everything that's happened.
The Wyndian couldn't take a single step without feeling the loss of her friends digging into her insides like a rabid beast feasting on them, but what could she do? Ryu had just found out his mother might still be alive within the dark dragon fortress after most likely being tortured the entire time he was sealed, was forced to watch another member of his family, another one of his brethren die in front of him, knew dozens more had just laid their lives down for him because their God asked them to... Ladon was just as much of a reason for their misfortunes as the Goddess. There was no time to grieve. They had to know what his intentions were and she was going to be strong. For Ryu.
She had to be.
Sha'lei...
Winds picked up the closer they were getting to Ladon's temple nestled within the heart of the city. Squinting, Nina held wild hair back. In the streets bones of the last of the city's draconian inhabitants entrusting to Ryu their power lay scattered at their feet in praying positions, crumbling away against weather and them into specs of glittering dust. Nina respectfully watched her step, hoped their remnants weren't planning on sticking to her clothes for long. Her own overactive heartbeat pulsed in her ears, nearly drowning out the sound of rushing water springing to life around them.
A massive bridge overlooking a waterfall bordered yawn in the flower spotted mossy earth came into view. Colorful birds startled by Ryu's stomps protested loudly at them as they fluttered by and into the sky. Colossal gray stone statues depicting decorated myrmidon warriors battling each other hovered over the path, blanketing them in shadows as they passed underneath their lunging formations. More glittering, praying bones. So many more were gathered here. It smelled heavily of rain and the sharp metallic twang of magic. Water flowed down the entire outside of the temple building from the roof, spilling into a vine, lily pad and algae ridden lake surrounding the structure, sans the entrance where another statue in mid spring split it to form an opening over the walkway.
"Show yourself, Ladon!" bellowed Ryu through lengthening fangs, wide, wild eyes darting about his homeland's ancient sacred grounds. Nostalgia crushed him with every square foot he took in of this place. He and Ana would bother their mother here quite often. Climbing that statue over there with the high ponytail, jumping from it to the dip in the edge of the waterfall to the left dropping down on their mother's teenage errand boy Senyu as he left the building, usually while he harbored a mountain of parchment in his arms... Ryu blinked burning eyes. His dark mop danced in the winds. "I know you're here waiting for me!"
Cautiously, Nina tagged behind her rampaging partner up a few large stone stairs to the entrance. She stopped at the top, blinked. Ryu's form was getting fuzzy again.
"Nina, I stole the last cupcake for you."
The moon was bright, brighter than most nights, and it was cooold.
Chasta huddled down next to her Princess, pulling her arms safely inside the thick wool coat she was wearing to hug her bare legs tight. Twinkling multicolored lights dangled on the castle walls, remnants of the King's birthday party hours earlier. Nina wiggled her nose to try and get some warmth back into the tip. "Why did you do that? I told you I was watching my weight." She couldn't believe she'd already eaten five.
The handmaiden's shivers cut through both of their outerwear. "Just eat it okay, it was harder than you'd think to get."
Sighing out a puff of mist, Nina took a bite. Sickeningly sweet strawberry.
Chasta's head twisted completely around to face her, the bones in her neck popping, snapping. "Is iT gOod?"
Ryu slammed a scaled covered foot through the temple double doors, making short work of the myrmidons carved into it. Nina smacked both palms hard against her cheeks.
Inside the temple waterfalls bathed more myrmidon effigies in their hazy streams. Erected in the middle of thick rolling fog stood the dashing likeness of -Nina assumed it to be Ladon, since it looked exactly like Ryu. Mist cleared the way for her dragon as he stormed up to his god's likeness, anxious excitement evoking an armor of scales to coat his arms and throat. "I said face me!" he boomed.
Rain was pouring, but Nina couldn't feel it. She knew the knife was in her back but couldn't feel that either.
Ethan's dark wet eyes met hers, trembling hands gripped her heavily cloaked body close. It took him multiple attempts to speak. "W-we all have to do things in our lives we don't want to do," whispered her paling guardian shakily to her also greying face. "Just like I know you didn't mean to kill me right?"
"Right?"
Ryu was shaking her. "Nina! Get ahold of yourself!" Amber floated everywhere other than him. Where was she again? Stubborn clouds refused to release her thoughts.
She has given the Kaiser a great deal more to entertain himself with since this last moon's light hasn't she, my son?
Yellow narrowed, darted up through messy navy to take in the God of all Dragons.
"You..." Ryu rumbled, securing Nina close to him. She blinked glassy eyes, grabbed clumsily at her forehead. His grip on her tightened.
A face so similar to Ryu's it was uncanny looked down on them, a mask of stoic regality through a mane not quite as disheveled as its twin's. Long, white locks spilled down a slightly paler, lean, almost lanky hunched form. Dark horns twisted forward from either side of his head coming to angry points aiming at them. Leathery wings tipped with black spikes sat folded at his back. He wore no clothing, only thick, dark red fur and scales adorned his bottom half underneath severely cut, tight scaled abs. Black clawed toes idly clicked the stone flooring. A spiked, scaled tail curled at his side. You have come with concerns, have you?
Ladon's tongue wove harsh, dominating draconian into the most soothing, alluring melody to ever grace Nina's ears. Ethan, Chasta, Ryu...who? She didn't remember anything about them anymore. Who were they anyway? Why did she keep wanting to think about them? Were they that important? Dead? Who was dead? No one was dead, there was nothing but this godlike brogue; she could do naught but be drawn to it. She needed it. Craved it. Ryu struggled to hold onto her. Panicking, he switched from her sudden crazed expression to the Dragon God's ever unchanging one. "Stop doing whatever it is you're doing to her!" he pleaded, dodging an elbow aimed at his face after a foot meaning to break through his.
Release her. I will occupy her mind until our business is done. If I do not mend what he has broken, Tyr will have already won.
Ryu didn't want to relinquish her, something inside forced him to. Nina scrambled excitedly up onto the stone platform beside Ladon and plopped down with her legs crossed and eyes bright, eagerly awaiting his glowing palm attaching to her forehead.
Now, Savior of the Dragons, you may speak.
Mustering all the courage his deep seated contempt could dredge up, Ryu jutted a clawed finger out at his God standing before him passively beating the younger dragon down with an aura he'd never felt the likes of - Neither good nor bad, just existing. Powerfully. He took a deep, ragged breath. "Th-this? This is the pet name you've come up with? Savior?" his sharp laugh echoed. Nervously he fought to calm the shakes in his legs from infecting the rest of his body. Gods this was Ladon and he was standing his ground, what in the name of all that was holy was he doing? He felt like a child confessing a sin to a perpetually unyielding parent. "I...am the product of your shame. Every prophecy, every story, every individual godsdamn person has relentlessly beaten that into my brain since I left my mother's womb. So why...why would you trust the fate of the Lights, your precious children to one with the blood of the forsaken running through him?" He motioned to Nina, adrenaline pumping into his trembling hand. "And Nina...she didn't deserve to know a monster like the Kaiser or to be dragged into any of this... so why...?" Sharp nails dug into his palms when he clenched his fists and threw them back. "Why were n-neither one of us given a choice to be part of yours and that bitch of a goddess' sadistic game?!"
Nina laughed vaguely to herself beside Ladon, rocking back and forth wearing a stupefied daze. A ghost of a smile flickered across the deity's handsome features. I do not think you understand how important you are to this 'game.' His other palm emitted a warm, inviting glow. Ryu stared at his slender fingers curling forward, beckoning the already curious dragon. Forget any nonsense you've heard the mortals spew. It is time you knew the real history of your world. Like a moth to the universe's grandest light, Ryu relented, leaning forward into his god's touch. A shock jolted through his body as Ladon forced his mind's eye to view the picture his words so vividly painted.
Once upon a time I was madly infatuated with Tyr, your 'Goddess'; the embodiment of all that was pure and angelic. Beautiful, irresistible, mysterious creature...we loved one another for hundreds of years before he sparked to life. Ladon met Ryu's bewildered stare with a knowing glance. 'Kaiser' as he calls himself. My doubt, my fear, my insanity, my balance... not surprisingly coming to fruition once she and I made the decision to create Elanaar, our child.
Dragons were destined from the beginning to be the strongest race in this world, the ones I chose to rule over all. I envisioned the two sub species I created would work together in harmony to dominate both the day and the night. As they were my kin, they ended up developing a much more animalistic nature than what Tyr considered to be 'regal' material, so with that template in mind she imagined the polar opposite of my warriors, the Wyndians. A physically weak, yet elegant, prestigious, magical race of her likeness, she coaxed these lovely birds to live in seclusion in the mountains of a highly concentrated magical area and feel proud about looking down upon others from great heights both physical and metaphorical.
Ladon's face was stone, yet Ryu could still see lava simmering below the earth's crust. Tyr came to me with a desire to 'experiment'. Doomed to be curious by nature I foolishly obliged and observed with naïve intrigue her add humans -a common filler race for worlds with an empty slate for beliefs- specifically to be the jealous neighbors to her smarter, daintier structured, more perfect firstborn, forced to live always as her least favorite children. He shook his head slowly. Was that a shiver running through him? Her elation when I would catch her artificially festering that hatred...
Other gods followed suit, creating their likenesses as well. Elanaar was the newest world, many were more than eager to set their footprints in the sand. Worens were sprinkled in, grassrunners, plainsrunners, mogu, piscine, amphibians, highlanders...shamans, faeries and sprites were born to look over nature where the dragons could not. Deis had enough interest to become practically mortal there and that on its own was an enticing advertisement. We enjoyed it, being in the spotlight of the ever-rising popularity of our creation.
In time, however, Tyr started to crave more of the...vivacity we were receiving from the little beings of this world believing in us. She started mass producing humans with grand ideas behind my back, flooding the lands with even more of her influence. This chaotic, quirky race quickly became her favorite playthings as they tended to be catalysts for all sorts of drama with their short, spontaneous lifespans. Drama...she'd developed such a insatiable lust for it. Ladon's own emerald orbs narrowed. Nina giggled. She sounded so far away. Ryu couldn't tear his eyes from his God. Ladon growled. Stooping to manipulating even my dark sons and daughters into violent disputes with their own light brethren and other races...she was becoming bold. Conflict spawning from beings that powerful birthed a sparkle to her eye I'd already begun to loathe.
We shouldn't have so much power over our offspring, I'd cautioned her. Let them live of their own free will, bless them with good fortune if they dedicate a city or a day to you. If enough of them dance for rain give them rain that sort of thing, but no, she was busy creating stories, curses, prophecies...she was the author of this world. And she just kept getting stronger. More and more dark dragons erected temples in her name. Many days were dedicated to her. She'd make it rain if they as much as smiled up at her. Ever more they attacked the Lights, blaming me for being the missing father in their lives.
I became furious, not just with her but all of my brood. I cursed the Dark ones for turning on their brothers and me. I gave both of them the prophecy of the Destroyer, told the Lights they were descendants of my once 'mortal body', gave them some crafted memories to have the royal ones pass down as a 'tradition'; Anything to further them from those unforgivable dark ones. I forbid them to interbreed. To show I was serious, I let the Kaiser loose on every already existing half blood. After I relished in their insanity, I mercifully killed them and proclaimed any more conceived would be publicly executed because look what mixing the blood does to you! Then, with my head held high I took myrmidon from them, the essence of what it was to be a dragon.
This didn't sit well with my now past love Tyr. These were her neglected children and they were oh so devastated by my punishment! They cried to her, sacrificed many of their kind for her attention. She'd never been so flattered. In secret she spoon fed them technology we'd discovered from other worlds years prior, a very VERY forbidden taboo. In order to stay out of the Eyes of our 'watchers', she resorted to hiding herself in her masterpiece, inside the body of the dead Wyndian queen. It was a minor setback; she quickly found she could do more damage in this form anyhow. As the Queen, she could shape her chronicles into whatever the hell she wanted with her own hands. ...Almost all of my beloved Lights were destroyed in the short coming years this world observed. I knew I had to stop her. I wanted my revenge. I decided to follow in her footsteps, to beat her at her own game, but with her inhuming and taking in so many of my followers I wasn't able to summon enough power to be born here as myself.
So I was reborn as you.
Ryu stared.
Ladon stood there with his massive aura pulsing, sounding in Ryu's head like they were on the inside of a bass drum and scoffed, rolling back scale splotched drooping shoulders. Why make that face? That face that is the exact same as mine... Ha...I was born into your father Fyrion first, where I had the arduous task of guiding him to procreate with a Light after all the fuss I'd made about it all. Interestingly enough I was able to give him, a leader of the Dark, the leader of the Lights. He'd already found her attractive on his own, It was as if fate were handing me all the highest quality ingredients I needed for the ideal Prince of all Dragons. Nina hummed softly. Ryu's hands shook. To my dismay I wasn't able to properly merge with you when you were born; only a bit of me got through, the rest attached itself to this damned temple. I tried not to let it discourage me much, the vessel I'd built was near perfect. The Kaiser would make you strong. Both races together would make me strong. Five hundred years I sat here, bound, absorbing in what magic I could from the planet and the ever dwindling Lights, making sure I had enough to finally complete the revenge I started so long ago once you'd arrived. I instilled Drogen within your mind when you woke up in Wyndia; putting it before anything and everything else. I manipulated what was left of the Lights here to open up the gates inside you for us to merge. Ryu, you ARE the Savior of all Dragons. You were chosen because you. Are. Me.
So this was it. The gods had been using everyone...him, Nina, his father...mother...like puppets from the beginning even more than he could have ever imagined for nothing other than their own petty feud. The Kaiser's ramblings made so much more sense now- he really wasn't supposed to exist and it was cruel for him to form any sort of relationship with another because he wasn't even a real godsdamn person! Ryu's heart pounded as he stared at Nina looking genuinely cheerful for the first time in a while. It wasn't real, he knew, but it soothed his soul to see her smile.
His soul. Not Ladon's.
"What if I do not wish to merge?" asked the dragon softly, feeling his God's confusion heavy in the air. "I do not wish to become that who she does not know and love." He swallowed hard, adding with audible fear, "I do not wish to become one that even I do not know."
They were nothing, vessels for their Gods to take as they saw fit. His feelings didn't matter and hers, well they definitely didn't. That's what Ladon's face said to him right now. Mortal concerns. A shame you retained my fondness for this race. They've caused us nothing but discordance for centuries.
Ryu continued attempting to swallow the lump stuck in his throat. Deep in his chest, he felt his Nina's despair spreading like a heavy sludge weighing him down. Ladon's presence along with it was overwhelming; he was slowly drowning in them both. "It was always my intention to destroy Tyr whether we were as one or not," he said, tongue thick in his mouth. "It is the same goal, therefore I do not think it matters if we-"
It DOES matter! Ladon thundered, shaking the entire building with his anger. Ryu staggered backwards away from pieces of the ceiling crumbling down. I...have waited...over five. Hundred. Years. to settle with her...to leave this damned temple! His growl emanated through Ryu's body to his very core. Platinum locks slowly began to float. Bits of light flickered about in the almost painfully prickly static filled air as the God leaned forward with his teeth bared threateningly. You were born to be ME. That has always been your one and only purpose. I care not for any of these meaningless relationships you've managed to cultivate on your journey. Both of us are here right now to stop Tyr from ruining what should have been a perfect utopia. To avenge all of my children she has slaughtered...all the one's she's lead astray. Ryu opened his mouth, Ladon snarled like a monster back. There is nothing for you to say, no choice for you to make! There is no 'you'. This...life you've been living, this fleeting lie of an existence... Love...this is what you think love is? It doesn't matter how long you would have loved, it would have all amounted to nothing like you were supposed to!
Nina closed her eyes, started swaying back and forth again blissfully. Her cheeks were full and pink, bright, happy. She was humming a tune in perfect harmony with herself in her Goddess-esque voice, oblivious to the fact she was never going to see Ryu again.
Ryu's features lost all feeling. Hot tears poured uninterrupted down his cheeks onto stone. All the water around him was so damn loud. Who was he kidding? Him? A life? How dare he entertain that notion. Love? Family? A normal existence?
Wait...Ha...what existence? Was he even able to die? If his "soul" was nothing but a freak accident personality formed on the remnants of a god's prayer and a pound of flesh was there any redemption for him or would he just pop out of reality like the names of people he'd met but would have forever forgotten over the years? His stomach bottomed out, he nearly collapsed from the sensation. Staring at Nina's carefree expression through a wall of tears, he ached indescribably for the family his God was denying him.
Distraught, he searched deep within himself, grasping at the soul he loved with every bit of his consciousness. He thought of her scent, the face she'd make when she'd notice him nuzzling in close to take more of her in- a wry, crooked little smile never failing to ignite his already ravenous appetite for her adoration. "Whatever happens to me, Nina, in this moment know I never loved you more-"
Ladon pushed the Wyndian away and grasped Ryu's head in both of his glowing claws, cutting his confession agonizingly short. He leaned in close, pressed his forehead hard against Ryu's. Love does not exist for you.
You. Do not exist.
Rain loosely fell. Thunder rumbled behind a darkening skyline. Merybel moved awkwardly to dodge the weather underneath outstretched statue arms. Boom! Creeaaa~akkk~ birds screamed, scattering. The bridge cracked, swayed again from whatever was happening inside the temple. Grabbing onto the handrails on the side made the tiny faerie yelp in pain. It was going to be hard to be of any assistance, she thought bitterly. Even though she had tended to herself, Nina still had almost killed her earlier and while she felt alright initially, traversing through the city after them was proving to be far more daunting than expected. Wincing, she changed the position of the glowing hand she had on her abdomen where she'd landed on a sharp rock after being shot out of the sky by her so-called friend.
The temple doors lay broken on the ground. If she hobbled forward a bit more, the faerie could just barely see inside. A dark haired Ryu was struggling to throw another lighter haired more dragon-like Ryu off of him. What? Two Ryus? Merybel pawed at swollen eyes. The one with the wings and horns (Ladon?) drove her Master violently against the side of the building. Holding his head in its claws he pushed it into the waters yelling in that language Merybel was glad she didn't understand.
Nina groaned, rolling with great effort over onto her stomach. Merybel kept her distance in the shadows. The Wyndian retched, losing what little she had in her system on the floor. Sweat and tears dripped, she blinked hard through them. Something had been artificially turned off in her brain. A memory, a feeling, something just forced their way into her thoughts and cut all ties to whatever it was. She grabbed at her throbbing temples. It wasn't right. Everything felt wrong. It was driving her insane to not be able to know what it was!
Merybel's lips pressed together until they went white. She could definitely feel it, remnants of a memory suppression spell. Gods it was much too dangerous to stop those in the middle of conjuring especially one so strong. Minds were fragile and didn't like being told what to do. They fought back hard, usually until they were broken if their actions weren't being regulated. There was a reason why it was a virtually unheard of magic other than the clan the murder guild siblings were from. Hands shaking, she averted her eyes from Nina writhing on the ground helplessly. There wasn't anything she could do.
Lightning exploded through the top of the temple engulfing both Ryus and almost Nina in blinding blue light. Merybel flung her arms over her eyes. Stone crashed to the ground. Winds howled through the now torn open ceiling. Rain was coming down in sheets. Nina's stomach emptied again. The faerie peeked through tanned appendages. Pink fuzzy hairs on her arms stood on end, crackles of electricity sizzled on the ends of the hair on her head.
Mist covering the middle of the room whipped away. Where the statue of Ladon had come to life stood a single Ryu bare chested and soaked, his face angled to the sky. Water streamed down noticeably paler skin, dripped from slightly longer hair that had taken on an azure hue. Merybel swallowed, cautiously crept forward. Rain plastered her tangled, leaf ridden mane to her scalp. "M-master? Are you alright...?"
Bright emerald swiveled over. An impassive smile rolled across his now somehow foreign-ish features. "Of course I am, Faerie. I am alive am I not?" he reached cut muscular arms out into the air, gazed at them curiously.
He wasn't inquiring about her obvious injuries. He didn't care Nina was having a mental breakdown damn near on him. Could he not feel her getting sick everywhere; the agonizing debilitating migraine she knew the poor girl was suffering from? Faerie. Merybel pursed her lips, tried to ignore the dread piercing her stomach. "That's good...now can you figure out how to help our friend here before she goes mad?"
Such elvish looking contempt he wore. His gaze flickered to Nina and he actually hesitated before speaking. "I suppose I should, she was his lover."
Merybel's heart sank. "...don't you mean your?" asked the faerie softly with a nervous laugh, dread solidifying into what she already knew but didn't want to admit.
Ryu'd foolishly gone off with no preparation but an argument to confront a God. Maybe this time, his luck didn't have him walking away the victor.
'Ryu' knelt down next to Nina's writhing, sputtering form. "No," he said grasping the Wyndian's head in his hands. Nina reached back, scrabbled desperately at him with her own long black nails. "I do not." A single bolt of magic jolted through both her temples, causing her body to convulse one violent time. Blood tinged amber shot open. 'Ryu' pulled her head to him and cocked it to the side. Lips touched her ears, flooded Nina's mind with whispers.
It is inconvenient for you to be toying with her right now.
Fat, heavy drops of rain pelted the three. Nina's boots squeaked loudly against wet stone as she arched her back and slid them hard forward. Merybel's blood froze at the sounds she made.
You WILL concede to me!
Tears flooding her vision, Nina wrenched her eyes from Ethan's dead stare in her lap to copper clouds suddenly churning angrily in the sky above. Chasta lay with her eyes and mouth open motionless beside her in a pool of blood the white sands around them hungrily drank in. The princess unwound her fingers from where she was stroking her handmaiden's hair, gently pushed Ethan's matted mop off of her and stood. Red waves crashed behind her. In front pillars of sand rose, contorting, bulging, molding themselves into three Ryu-like embodiments set in a triangular formation. Winds lashed down, carved final details into the figures until the sands were whisked away from fully fleshed models. The first, Ryu's soul, immediately rushed to Nina's side. The Second, Ladon, stood tall in front of the Third, Kaiser.
She's mine. It has been known. Rumbled the darkness with a twisted sneer, measuring Ladon's indomitable emeralds on him with black claws clenching at his scaled sides. Black smoke rolled down his body in mesmeric waves. Onyx wings gave an anxious flap. Red lightning streaked across the sky.
Ladon snorted. Clawed feet sunk into sand as a wave gently called back part of the foundation they were on. How painfully easy it is for you to forget that just like the boy dragon you are also merely a fragment of me. I was intrigued by your brazen entrance into my psyche before, so much so I gifted you the hybrids. I allowed you 'Ryu' to play with for this long and Tyr even had the decency to allow you her Wyndian. You've had more than enough of your share of 'living' as your own entity.
Laughter erupting from the Kaiser brought Nina's hands blocking her ears. Ryu's soul had shaking arms wrapped around her waist. A chin vibrating from chattering teeth burrowed into the back of her neck. You believe I would be satisfied with these meager scraps... No, these children are but the building blocks of something far greater gaining Tyr will finally help me make all of you realize.
Listen to you speaking like him, like you have a claim to dominance over any part of me.
Nina's hands were turning white gripping Ryu. The bodies on the beach at her feet didn't have names anymore, the man holding her was nothing but a shadow. She didn't know why water was still falling from her eyes. "Nina..." Ryu's soul whispered into her ear. "He's taken me over, I don't know how much longer we have together...or if we even have any time at all." She stared forward, unable to recognize his presence, fated to never hear his lament. He sagged, defeated.
I am everything that makes you you, Ladon. I am your gospel, your grit, the manifestation of your most sinister desires. Thick wings of smoke took the Kaiser to the air. Ladon didn't move. I am who rightfully deserves to be the owner of you all! All of it...the half blood, the Keeper...all of your strength... everything has fallen into place because of me and it's time I called in my favor and take what's always been mine-!
The Kaiser tossed an incoming strike at him too fast for Nina's comprehension to catch to the side. Ladon twirled in tune with his momentum to keep balance and used it to send his tail out like a whip. Impossibly quick the Kaiser ducked, let the tail rope around his raised forearm. I won't be your pet any longer, he growled taking hold of it. I won't be anyone's pet any longer! With gusto he pulled, turned and sent Ladon soaring over his head.
Ladon twisted midair to land on all fours, digging his claws hard into the sand to stop. Face cracking into a smile from ear to ear he stood tall with his shoulders back, throwing his white locks behind them. From the beginning it's been somewhat burdensome controlling you, but fear not, I am proud. Their voyage has made you sturdy. His adversary growled, fell back into the shadows. Ladon let his own veil conceal him. Clouds morphed, dispersed as the two collided in the sky like two magnetic meteors continuously smashing into one another.
Nina's back was wet with Ryu's tears. "He's going to s-seal both the Kaiser and me..." he hiccupped, hugging her closer to his trembling body. Long navy locks drifted softly onto her shoulders. "I-I can feel his intentions now. I... Augh! To all the gods in existence I wish you could hear me Sha'lei!" The Wyndian's eyes were darting back and forth as she struggled to keep up with the conflict happening around them. Her dejected dragon's soul clenched still violently chattering teeth. "Just know...I'm going to fight. I don't know what I can do but I'm not frightened of him anymore, Nina I... Ah...-I-I'm lying through my teeth...but knowing the path to you is through him...I promise I will do everything I can to get back to you and know the rest of me feels the same-!"
One of the meteors smashed into the earth. Sand swelled, burst in an explosion around Nina that completely obliterated everything outside of the bubble Ladon encased her in. Ryu felt himself being plucked from her like an insignificant piece of lint. Desperate screams fell on deaf ears. He reached out with limbs straining almost to their breaking point to a love he'd never thought he'd have to let go. Gods... Did he ever really have a hold on anything in this "life"? Thick tar-like blackness spilled over until he could no longer see Ladon offering Nina his hand.
Good night.
A/N: I'm so so so sorry to leave on a cliff hanger like this after again taking my sweet time, but I wanted to get something out to let you guys know I'm still hard at work on it...albeit slowly.
I hope everyone is staying safe in these crazy times. I love you all and thank you again for all your patience with me. I write about the same as I paint, I get a crazy surge of creativity, throw down thoughts/ideas/sketches...and then it sometimes takes me forever to link them together into coherent passages lol.