Hello again! Here is the next chapter that I forced out on my sick day that prevented me from going to school. Either way, I hope you all enjoy and please excuse any grammatical errors. Thank you to all that reviewed! I recently put a poll up for fun about Hidden Demons. Feel free to vote!
"Are you sure you are ready?"
"Yes. I am." Ember replied, smiling as she slowly approached the mouth of her cave. Silas moved in step with the dragoness, his hand gently resting on her shoulder.
"Besides, I'm sick of hiding. I think soaking up some rays on my scales will do a girl good!" Ember replied, laughing softly as the human smiled.
"Indeed. The sun is a healer."
The pair moved to the entrance of the cave, Ember closing her eyes as she smiled softly, the dragon enjoying the sun's rays and songbirds singing. Silas waited patiently as the dragoness breathed deeply, releasing a sigh as smoke flowed from her snout.
"This is so beautiful! I've forgotten what the sun feels like, how cool the wind is...I even forgot how the birds sang."
"Now you can regain your memory." Silas replied softly, Ember nodding as she slowly made her way down the slope, movements stiff.
Gasping, Ember cried as she lost her balance on the slope, Silas rushing to balance her.
"Are you well?" Silas asked, concerned as Ember regained her balance.
"Yes...yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Ember replied, her scales gently flushing from embarrassment.
"My wounds haven't healed yet." Ember added, Silas not taking his hand off of her shoulder lest she fall again.
"We will have to clean your wounds again." Silas stated, armor clanking.
The pair began to wonder off the path, moving slowly through the forest as they get a meadow with a small kill running through the brush.
Ember's eyes sparkled in joy as she saw all the different colors the blooming flowers produced, their pollen flowing in the wind.
"Oh! Oh, my goodness! Silas, do you smell that? The flowers smell so pretty!" Ember cried, smile wide as she trotted as fast as her wounds allowed her to the source. Silas sneezed in response.
"Yes...I smell them..." Silas replied, rubbing his nose as he sniffed. "I think I am allergic. My nose is stuffy."
"Awww! You sound so cute with a stuffy nose!" Ember laughed, wings flapping gently in play.
"No...I...I..." Silas sneezed, sniffing even louder. "I am...I am going to the kill...my head feels fuzzy. It is strange."
"You, knight, are no fun!" Ember called after the human, Silas waving her off as he retreated to the stream.
Giggling, Ember lowered her head to the flowers, sniffing them as the plants danced to her rhythmic breaths. Revived, the dragoness gently laid down among the grass and flowers, sighing at the coolness of the earth.
Stretching, Ember smiled as she rolled onto her back, ignoring her pain as the sun's rays warmed her underbelly.
"Ohhh, yes!" Ember grinned, her wing muscles stretching as her joints popped.
For several minutes Ember stayed in that position, soothed by the sun's warmth as the wind blew softly. Several flower petals broke off and floated softly around the meadow, traveling to wherever the winds of fate took them.
Beginning to doze, Ember was awoken from her light sleep by the sound of footfalls approaching followed by a sneeze.
"Hahaha! You are still sneezing?" Ember giggled, yawning as she rolled onto her stomach, wings at her side.
"Much to my discomfort, yes, yes, I am."
"Hahahaha! Your voice is still stuffy! It's funny!"
"I am honored to grant you entertainment through my misery, m'lady." Silas replied, a playful tone in his voice. "And that is no jest."
"Ohhh, you're getting all fancy on me now, aren't cha?"
"That I am, my lady." Silas grinned, sitting down.
"Why are you calling me 'lady' all of a sudden?" Ember asked, an eye ridge rising in curiosity.
"Because I view you as a woman, m'lady." Silas answered, eyes alert, as if studying the dragon.
"But I am a girl. You make no sense."
"Correction: You are a woman because you are...well..." Silas paused, at a lost for words as he motioned towards Ember with his hands. "...more...developed. I think-for a dragoness I mean! I honestly could not tell that Cynder was a dragoness. She seemed...vicious, powerful. She fought like no woman either...errr...dragoness."
"But...Silas, you...you said when you found Cynder she was already..." Ember broke off, eyes wide in hurt and terror.
"Oh, no! No, Ember you-you misunderstand me! While it is true that when I had reached Cynder she was already dead, I had seen the battle from a distance and had seen her slaughter the mercenaries before the leader ran through her." Silas stammered, paling as his heart pounded wildly against his rib cage in terror.
"Oh..." Ember replied, shaking the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "Okay. I'm sorry, I just-I didn't mean to jump to conclusions."
"That is alright, Ember. Apology accepted."
"Your scales are like rose crystals, if you do not mind me saying, m'lady." Silas added, the pink scales hurting his eyes slightly.
"Oh, thank you, Silas." Ember replied, smiling sadly at his attempt. "Are you going to call me your lady now?"
"Well...I have pledged an oath to guard you, Ember, as you know. Therefor, I am your champion, and I address you as such because I respect you for who you are as a woman, not just because you are a dragon."
"So...you respect me because I am a dragoness?"
"That is correct, my lady. It is a knight's honor to defend a woman, so I do not see why it would be different if the woman is of another species." Silas responded, shrugging his shoulders slightly.
"So...in your society female humans are weak?"
"That is...correct. Women are meant to be protected and honored by men because they are considered the weaker sex."
"So you view all women as the weaker sex?" Ember asked, her scales beginning to flush in anger.
"No, not I. Most men that I have come across, however, do. I viewed Anaya as being the far greater sex than I. She could do many things that I could not do that were not related to our difference in sex. For instance, she could dance far better than me, and dancing has nothing to do with difference in gender."
"I see..." Ember growled lowly, smoke smoldering from her nostrils. "Still, I don't want you calling me 'lady' if it means in your society that I am weak. In my race, female dragons are just as strong as the males!"
"I believe your word, Ember, though I have never laid eyes upon a male dragon. I apologize, and I will not call you my lady anymore." Silas spoke, Ember settling back down as she began to look at the clouds.
"Do you miss flying?" Silas asked, Ember tearing her blue eyes away from the sky as she nodded.
"Yes, I do. I can't image how you humans can live without wings, without flying. It must be horrible."
"I do not think it is so horrible. The Heavenly Kingdom is in the sky, so the Lord does not want His children to see His Kingdom until their time has come. If He had wanted man to see His Kingdom, God would have given us wings." Silas answered, smiling with a nod as Ember looked at the human strangely.
"Silas, who is this He you speak of?"
"God. You have not heard of Him?" Silas asked, Ember shaking her head.
"Is He a human god?"
"Yes, He is. God first created Man in His image. This first Man was named Adam. Later, God created a Woman to accompany Adam, which He made from Adam's rib that the Lord had took while Adam slept."
"Ewwwww! That's gross!" Ember cried, tongue sticking out to display her distaste. "Wait...so the first Woman was created from Adam's rib? How?"
"God used his magic to mold the rib of Adam, and thus created the first Woman, Eve." Silas explained, Ember's mouth agape in shock.
"Your face is hilarious!" Silas chuckled, clearing his throat before continuing. "Adam and Eve lived in bliss within the Garden, and would continue to do so as long as they followed God's only rule: Do not eat the fruit from the forbidden tree."
"And they ate it?"
"Yes! Well, Eve ate it, actually. Satan-the Fallen Angel, Lucifer-had shifted into a Serpent and slipped into the Garden."
"Wait! Are Satan and Lucifer the same being?" Ember asked, confused as Silas nodded.
"Yes, they are."
"Ohhh, so Lucifer is the evil guy, right? Or is it Eve?"
"No, no, not Eve. Lucifer is an enemy of God, but was once God's most beautiful angel. But that is a story for another time." Silas paused, clearing his throat. "Back on track, then! Satan had slipped into the Gardens as a Serpent, and had convinced Eve to pick the forbidden fruit from the tree and eat it. As punishment, God has banished both Eve and Adam to Earth, where they populated the world. And because of Eve's faults, women became known as the lesser sex." Silas finished, Ember staying quiet.
"You human are creative with your stories, that is for sure. Though they are very strange and confusing." Ember replied.
"Indeed.. So tell me, did you ever see anything when flying?"
"Clouds." Ember answered, Silas frowning in response.
"Anything else?"
"More clouds. And birds! Oh, and rainbows!" Ember added, Silas shaking his head in disappointment.
"Anything else? Did you see a city in the clouds?" Silas asked, hopeful.
"No. I've never seen a city in the clouds. I have see clouds shaped like buildings though! I saw a cloud shaped like a butterfly once!" Ember cried, eyes sparkling upon remembering the sight.
"Oh...that is swell." Silas responded, crestfallen.
"Did you ever see a shape in the clouds?" Ember asked.
"Of course I have. I saw a flying cow once." Silas smiled, Ember laughing.
"Really? Ancestors, I saw a family of bunnies one time!"
"Truly? All those clouds looked the same?"
"Oh, well, not all of them. Most of the bunnies looked deformed." Ember replied sheepishly, Silas laughing.
"Oh, you are cruel!"
"Mwahahahaha!"
"Cruel beast! Your reign of terrorizing deformed bunnies and their families end here!" Silas cried in play, Ember baring her fangs and growling half heartedly.
"Grrrr! Fear my pink scales of doom with my enchanted green scarf!"
"Harken! Thy scales shine light so viciously upon my sight that I cannot see! Oh, precious light, may I look upon you for the last time for I am blinded by rays of pink!" Silas cried, fainting upon the grass as Ember roared in laughter.
"Ancestors, I can't stop laughing!" Ember cried, wriggling on the ground as Silas laughed from his position from the ground, coughing slightly.
"Are...Are you well? Maybe we should stop?"
"No need to fear for me, Ember. I am fine." Silas replied, forcing out a smile as he coughed.
"What...What were you doing down by that stream?" Ember asked, stifling her laughter, eyes sparkling.
"I was cleaning myself. I was rather bloody from earlier." Silas spoke, Ember leaning closer in curiousity.
"Why were you bloody? Did you get into a fight? Is that how you got your wound?"
"I...was exiled after trying to stop an execution. I was beaten during a riot when the crown turned on me."
"Oh, that's horrible! But why did you try to stop an execution? They had to be evil to be sentenced to death!" Ember exclaimed, Silas piercing his lips into a thin line.
"Not everyone who get sentenced to death is guilty." Silas stated, voice firm.
"Yes they are! They had to do something wrong and needed to be punished for it!"
"You know not of what you speak!"
"Yes I do! Everyone who is accused of something horribly evil must die to make sure nothing horrible ever happens again in the future! They are all the same! Evil, cold hearted, liers!" Ember countered, Silas clenching his shaking fist in rage.
"Anaya is not what you speak of! You are wrong!" Silas hissed, wrath contained as he risen and took his leave, stride swift. Ember's eyes widened at the realization, guilt claiming her gaze as she shot up from her position on the ground.
"Silas? Silas! I'm sorry! I didn't know!" Ember cried, going after the human. His pace, however, was much faster than that of her limp.
"Leave me be, dragon!" Silas roared, the man disappearing to the kill as Ember froze in her tracks. This was not the human she had come to know.
"I'm sorry, Silas." Ember spoke softly, tears running down her face at the harshness of the man's voice. Defeated, the dragoness slumped down on the ground, closing her eyes tightly as her floodgates broke.
Silas paused at the edge of the stream, chest heaving in rhythmic fury as he clenched and unclenched his fists.
"She knows not what she speaks of..." Silas muttered, breathing deep as the man fell to his knees. Breathing ragged, Silas clenched his fist and began to pound into the earth, the water being disturbed from its peaceful rest.
Crying, Silas unleashed his fury upon the stream, the rocks tearing flesh as the water ran red. Silas was forced to discontinue his assault as coughs began to rock his body, violent like his wrath.
Hacking, Silas coughed up blood and mucous into his hands, spitting the vile contents into the stream. The young knight struggled to breathe as the pain became stronger, breath wheezing as the coughs subsided.
Silas stared a bit numbly at his hands, blood trickling past his lips as he wiped his mouth. Sniffing, Silas focused on cleaning his hands in the stream, glancing around briefly only to be startled by a presence next to him.
"Jesu!" Silas cried, heart pounding as he jumped, eyes filling with sadness upon seeing the familiar white dress of his lady.
"Anaya...I am sorry." Silas whispered, the woman smiling at him, eyes warm and loving.
"I am sorry for yelling at you. I am sorry for allowing Ember to say such cruel things about you. I am sorry for failing you. Can I ever gain redemption in your eyes, or have you forsaken me, my lady?" Silas asked, Anaya frowning as she shook her head, eyes softening. Gently, Anaya placed her hand on Silas' larger one, wrapping her small fingers around his as she held his hand.
"You...you are warm? I...Impossible." Silas breathed, voice shaking as he looked at the woman in disbelief.
"But I saw you fall...you fell..." Silas whispered, voice faltering. His steel eyes were becoming clouded with tears. Anaya smiled at the young man, brown eyes sparkling as she took a deep breath, and allowed her tears to fall.
"Oh, my beloved Duchess!" Silas cried, clasping Anaya's face firmly into his palms as the woman grasped his arms. Tears not freely ran down the faces of both as Silas gently wiped the tears from his Duchess' face. She smelled the same as she always did. Like a pine forest mixed with warm cinnamon.
Silas' breathing increased in nervousness as he noticed how close their faces were, just mere inches away. The young knight's gaze quickly fell from his lady's eyes to her lips, their softness calling to him. Feeling the woman's warm breath on him, Silas swiftly glanced into her eyes again, hesitant, and unsure. Within her earthen eyes, Silas had found the love and compassion that had enraptured his heart in a time lost in memory.
Heart pounding wildly, Silas tilted his head, hands unsteady in his nervousness as he felt the warmth resonating from her being without touching her. Silas hovered over her lips, wanting her with every fiber of his being.
"I cannot." Silas spoke, pulling away as he retreated from the woman. Anaya appeared heart broken.
"I was not courageous enough to have you in life, and I cannot have you in death. It is far too late. I should have professed my love for you years ago, before I left for Rome, but I could not. I was too much of a coward. You are but a dream of my darkest desires that I lust to have. A dream of a memory long passed is all you are. Farewell, my tacitae veritas." Silas whispered, forcing himself to turn away from the woman as he stood up. Looking around, the man was saddened to see that she was nowhere in sight.
With controlled breathing, Silas turned toward the direction Ember was, sighing.
"I must apologize to her." Silas muttered, eyes snapping upon seeing movement in the nearby trees. Stilling, Silas watching the forest intently for any sign of movement. It was then he noticed that the surrounding forest was too quiet. It was utterly silent. It was then the scent of death hit Silas' nose, the smell sickening sweet and hot, choking him.
"Mother of God, that is foul." Silas choked, covering his nose, hearing a rock move as he turned and was startled by a man clad in a black robe.
Yelping, Silas jumped, eyes wide as he pointed an accusing finger at the man.
"You! You-are a very strange man!" Silas cried, Rorek smirking under his hood.
"Greetings, my friend. I must say I am rather surprised that you are alive."
"Corpse Walker." Silas greeted, less than appeased. "How did you even manage to sneak up on me?"
"Tis not hard. I simply blend into the shadows."
"I see. And I see that you have managed to find your equipment." Silas added, noticing the man was wearing his familiar clothing and weapons.
"And I see you have not fallen upon your sword in grief."
"Nay, I have not. I thought you, however, would. Or did you not care enough for the Duchess while she lived?"
"More than you ever dared, boy." Rorek spoke lowly, Silas keeping quiet. "How is it that you have survived?"
"I was exiled out of mercy" Silas stated, Rorek nodding as he looked up at the man. Silas was almost completely a head taller.
"I thank you for saving me. I never got the chance to properly thank you."
"I did not save your life for you."
"That may be true, but you still did out of your own actions." Rorek stated, Silas sniffing.
"You look horrible. You look like a corpse." Silas commented, Rorek stoic.
"How fitting." Rorek muttered, sarcasm in his voice. "You are no head turner in your state either."
"...You are a very sarcastic person."
"Well, someone must bore the dead to keep them from rising. Would not want them to eat any flesh now, would we?" Rorek asked, the same tone in his voice as Silas raised an eyebrow.
"You are strange. You need more charm...perhaps I could lend you some of mine?"
"I find that hard to believe. I certainly charmed your Duchess, did I not?"
"How can you be so callous?" Silas asked, anger rising at the slander of his lady.
"She is dead, so I grieve. But not now, the time is not right to grieve. However, were one disrespecting her as much as I, I would not hesitate to punish them." Rorek explained, Silas shaking his head.
"You are a bastard."
"That I am."
"I greatly dislike you..." Silas stated, wondering what had possessed his lady to ever-ever-fall for this man.
"As do I. However, I find it amusing to annoy you."
"And I find it amusing to list off the many reasons on why you shall burn in Hell."
"Care to tell?"
"No. Not at this time...are you done vexing me?" Silas asked, Rorek nodding, both silently agreeing to an odd bond of fellowship.
"So what now?" Rorek asked, crossing his arms. "You and I are both hated enemies of the country."
"We shall leave." Silas answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Come, I have a friend that I want you to see."
"What kind of friend?" Rorek asked, skeptical.
"You shall see." Silas spoke, grinning as the pair walked toward the meadow, Rorek freezing in his footsteps upon seeing a rather large pink dragon.
"Damn." Rorek muttered, Ember alarmed as she noticed the new human and the horrid smell he brought.
"Silas, who is that?" Ember asked, on edge as she bared her fangs. Rorek didn't seemed fazed.
"It is alright, Ember. He is a friend." Silas spoke, smiling as Rorek approached, curious.
"Interesting. I have never seen such a beast before. I wonder how her anatomy works?" Rorek wondered, Ember growling.
"I like my insides just the way they are, thank you very much!" Ember hissed, Rorek holding up his hands.
"I apologize, my dear. Ah, where are my manners? I am Rorek." Rorek greeted, Ember eyeing the man with suspicion as she glanced at Silas.
"Ember." Ember spoke hesitantly, Rorek smirking, exposing his canines.
"A pleasure." Rorek purred. "Silas, how is it that you managed to befriend such a magnificent creature?"
"She was dying, but I saved her."
"From what?"
"Plague." Silas answered, Rorek chuckling.
"My boy, if you cured this dragon of plague you must be Christ Himself." Rorek spoke, observing every inch of the dragoness as she squirmed uncomfortably. "You cut off the infection?"
"Yes."
"Well...that is new." Rorek muttered, Ember scrunching her snout at the man's scent.
"Why do you smell so bad?"
"Because I work with organic compounds, dear. And because I work so much with these compounds, their smell tends to stick on me." Rorek answered, Ember shrinking into herself, unnerved.
"You are scaring her." Silas stated, Rorek ceasing his study.
"I apologize."
"It's okay." Ember replied, forcing a smile.
"I apologize as well, Ember. I did not mean to yell at you." Silas spoke, Ember perking up.
"Apology accepted!" Ember chirped happily, Rorek looking off into the distance.
"What is wrong?" Silas asked, Rorek staring intently at the forest.
"I feel uneasy." Rorek admitted, looking back at the knight.
"Why?"
"I do not know. I feel death approaching on cold wings, with claws of jagged steel dripping with blood." Rorek whispered, Silas shaking his head.
"I do not like it when you speak like that." Silas admitted, sighing. "Are you well enough to move, Ember? I do not want to push you beyond your limits."
"I can manage. I'm not a human female." Ember snorted, Rorek glancing at Silas with suspicion.
Groaning, Ember rose from her position on the ground, stretching.
"Do you want to go back to your lair?" Silas asked, Ember shaking her head.
"No. I've had enough of that dirty mud hole." Ember spoke, flicking her tail as both men looked at each other and shrugged.
"I guess women will be women." Rorek commented, Silas grinning.
"I guess so."
The men began to travel north-east, Ember slowing their progress greatly with her wounds.
"I'm sorry, Silas. You two can go on ahead and I'll check up." Ember suggested, Silas shaking his head.
"No, Ember. I am not about to leave you behind."
"We can rest if you like. I have more medical expertise than Silas, so I can tend better to your wounds." Rorek added, Ember pausing in thought.
"I...suppose we could rest for a little." Ember agreed, settling down against a tree stiffly. Rorek sat down next to Ember, and upon noticing the green scarf around her wrist, chuckled.
"Oh, my..."
"What? Is something wrong?" Ember asked, concerned as Rorek shook his head, carefully cleaning her wounds with a dampened cloth.
"Nothing, dear. We just need to make sure no dirt gets in your wounds and starts up an infection."
"Oh..." Ember responded, wincing as the man cleaned much harder than Silas, her wounds becoming irritated.
"Stop squirming. You remind of my..."
"Your what?" Ember asked, eyes curious.
"My daughter. You have that...air of innocence around you. Same sparkle in your eyes." Rorek paused in cleaning slightly, clearing his throat. Silas raised an eyebrow at the mention of the Necromancer having a child.
"You have another child?" Silas asked, voice distraught as Rorek remained silent.
"Is something wrong?" Ember asked, Silas refusing to answer as he stared at the man.
"No...everything is fine, Ember." Silas spoke after a few seconds of pause, Rorek refusing to speak on the matter as he continued to work.
"There. I believe that will be-" Rorek turned his head as he heard a snap in the woods, glancing to Silas as the young knight readied his sword and shield.
"Who is there?" Silas asked, on edge as a figure emerged from the brush.
"Well, look what we have here. A dragon. Slaying another, knight?" The man asked, Silas' eyes widening at the familiar voice.
"You are that man!" Silas spoke. "You are that mercenary!"
"Mordred de Gaulle? The bounty hunter?" Rorek asked, eyes widening slightly in surprise, Mordred grinning darkly.
"And what do we have here? The Necromancer of Bavaria? You have a high price on your head, friend."
"So it seems." Rorek muttered, eyeing the man darkly.
"S...Silas? Why did he ask you about slaying another dragon?" Ember asked, worried as sweat trickled down the knight's brow.
"Oh? This beast is your friend? How is that, when you single handedly killed the black beast?" Mordred asked, Silas' breath hitching upon seeing the color drain from Ember's scales.
"You...Silas! You...You killed...no! No! You lied to me! You lied!" Ember cried, beyond crestfallen as tears fell swiftly down her face.
"E-Ember, no! I-I did not mean to!"
"I gave you a chance to tell me! Yo-You lied to me! Not once, but twice! I...I thought you were my friend, Silas..." Ember sobbed, choking as she got up.
"Ember, no! Please! I did it to protect you! I knew what the truth would do to you! I did not want to hurt you..." Silas faltered, eyes desperate with shame and guilt.
"P...Protect me? Or kill me? I...I don't know you! I thought you were different from the other humans, but you're not!"
"Ember...please..." Silas begged, approaching the dragoness as she shrunk away, fearful and wracked with grief.
"N-No! Get away from me, murderer!" Ember cried, forcing herself to run into the forest.
"Ember! Ember..." Silas faltered, Mordred laughing.
"What a pitiful sight! What knight are you to befriend a beast?" Mordred asked, scoffing at the knight.
"Go after her, Silas." Rorek spoke. "Mordred may have more men out there, and in her state Ember cannot defend herself."
"And what of you?" Silas asked, worried and distraught as Rorek chuckled.
"Oh, please. I am sure the bounty on my head is much more than a dragon that has caused no trouble." Rorek replied, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Go." Rorek ordered firmly, pushing Silas away, the man nodding hesitantly.
"Thank you, Rorek. May God be with you, friend." Silas whispered, clasping the man's arm firmly before sprinting off into the forest.
"God be with you...please." Rorek muttered, rolling his eyes as Mordred chuckled, unsheathing his sword.
"Ready to die, Necromancer?"
"In due time, friend." Rorek replied, reaching under his robes and unsheathing duel short swords.
"Pray for mercy while you can, cur, for you shall find none." Mordred smirked, eyes dark and eager as Rorek chuckled softly.
"Come to me then, and allow the cold nails of death to still the very blood in your heart."
Well, that took longer than expected. I apologize for the odd dialog between Silas and Rorek, but they have an awkward like/hate friendship/rivalry. I felt bad for Silas and his interactions with Anaya. It's rather hard for me to write scenes like that and keep her silent when she would normally speak and respond to Silas. As for Ember...I'm not sure if her friendship with Silas can survive after that since it was a huge betrayal of trust now that the cat's out of the bag. And I'm not entirely sure how Rorek's fight with Mordred will go either. Well, thank you for reading and please review! :)