A Brighter Future Ahead
AN: Okay...turns out this'll be a three-parter. One thing just lead to another, and before I knew it, I was already at a thousand words and had too much left to put in this chapter. So we'll pick this up again in this next chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire.
Darkstalker:
His breaths were heavy, though not because he was exhausted. It was more like the fury within him was slowly dissipating now that his opponent lie motionless beneath him in a growing pool of his spilled essence. He finally stood and stepped off of the assassin's body, his legs shaking ever-so-subtly from the adrenaline high that was now beginning to wear off.
Now that that was over, he finally was able to check on Clearsight. He placed a talon on her neck as the two Seawings stood silently nearby. He bowed his head with a sigh. So it's true, then… he thought. She was dead, and not even animus magic could revive the dead—not without potentially horrendous side-effects. It was too great of a risk to even try. He wouldn't desecrate his beloved like that on the infinitesimal chance he could think up a properly worded spell.
Each dragon mourned in their own way. So while Clearsight's death affected him greatly, he knew he couldn't surrender to the crushing grief he felt. Tears could come after he got his vengeance on the ones responsible for sending this assassin.
His mind made up, he spent one last moment to close Clearsight's eyes and place a loving kiss on her cheek before turning away. He would bury her later…in a more meaningful place than this moons-forsaken beach. "That's it?" Indigo asked, confused and somewhat upset, as he walked away. "You're not even going to say anything?"
He stopped and glanced back at her, his gaze falling momentarily on his beloved once more. "There's nothing to say," he answered in his deeper, more gravelly voice caused by the shadows still swirling around his body. Indigo went to say something else, and his eyes hardened as if daring her to challenge his words. Fathom placed a claw on her shoulder, so she reluctantly backed off. His gaze softened when he looked to his Seawing friend. It seemed he was taking things quite hard if the moisture in his eyes was any indication.
When his eyes fell upon the assassin's body, however, his gaze hardened once again. Perhaps there would be some clue as to who sent him on his corpse. The dagger was the first thing to catch his gaze. He had studied ancient animus relics extensively, yet he had never heard of a weapon such as this. It's possible that the weapon had merely been lost or deliberately struck from history, but it was equally as possible that it had been enchanted recently.
It could be something his father enchanted before he died, but he didn't think that likely. So unless Queen Anaconda had ordered his death, which his mind and instincts screamed at him wasn't true, there was only one dragon who could have enchanted this…
His grandmother, Queen Diamond.
That thought was enough to make his blood boil again, but he stamped down on his fury. Instead, a more…appealing idea suddenly became known to him. He grabbed the dagger and wrenched it free of the corpse it had been buried in to study it. The dagger itself was ornate and masterfully crafted—something fit for a Queen, perhaps. And in the pommel was a brilliant diamond—and if that wasn't an obvious giveaway, he didn't know what was—that seemed to glow with stored energy.
However, the longer he held it, two things became apparent. His thoughts suddenly became more muddled and he couldn't form a coherent thought, and the diamond started to dim until it was nearly pitch black. The energy stored within was now swirling like black smoke. He could feel his energy begin to drain away, as well, until…he felt normal again.
But that didn't make sense.
He looked down at his claws to see the shadows still swirling around his scales, yet for the first time, he was actually in control of his actions. No longer was he a prisoner in his own body, a mere spectator to the forces controlling him. Now he was in control.
He could only stare at the dagger in his claws as that was the only thing that made sense. He looked around himself and noticed a stick not too far away. He grabbed it. "Stick, write down every enchantment placed upon the dagger I am holding in the sand next to me," he commanded it.
The stick went to work doing just that, and as the minutes and list of enchantments stretched on, he came to the conclusion that this happened to be the single most powerful weapon the world had ever seen. There were enchantments on it like he expected, such as nullifying defensive spells and protecting the wielder from hostile spells. However, there were enchantments on here he had not expected. To test one out, he threw the dagger as hard as he could where it plopped into the ocean. Then, he held his claws out and willed it to return to him. And then it reappeared in his claws like out of thin air.
He couldn't help the evil chuckle that escaped. It was just too perfect! He, the most powerful dragon in the world, now had a weapon more powerful than even he was. "I think I could put this to good use," he said, surprised that his voice was back to normal even if his scales weren't. He studied the list of enchantments placed upon it and scoffed at the lack of the single most important spell that should've been put on a weapon this powerful. "Who enchants a weapon this powerful and doesn't put a failsafe enchantment on it? I mean, was it arrogance or just stupidity to think the wrong dragon, like myself, would end up with it?"
He shook his head and focused on the task at claw. Just before he opened the assassin's knapsack, he heard Fathom and Indigo arguing about whether or not they should leave. The urgency in her voice was odd, and she kept glancing at him every now and then. She looked…afraid.
Suddenly suspicious, he opened up the bag and saw a scroll in the bottom…
AN: I wonder what that could be?
Until Next Time
AdmiralCole22
