Author's Note: Sorry for not updating in awhile. I've moved from Kansas to Las Vegas, Nevada, so that's been stopping me. Also, I've been depressed by lots of things, so that's been quite the hold up as well. Everytime I try to do something, be it write stories, play a game, or go search for a job, the names of people just pop into my head, and I lose all inspiration to do anything. But enough of that, you all want to read my story if you've made it to chapter four without losing interest, not hear my life's problems. I've went to the previous three chapters and did a tiny bit of editting. It's not worth going back and reading them for it, though, just typo-fixing for the most part. Those three chapters were made and posted nearly the same time, so it was kind of rushed. I don't regret it, though. Having a starting story with three chapters is better than one. It'd be like reading the first page of Lord of the Rings, and stopping right there. So, now that I have gotten my computer hooked up online again, and I've managed to sneak in this chapter inbetween my depressive states, I hope you all can enjoy this chapter of my story. Oh, and one last note. I've been considering making a more "intense" version of this fanfic. You may IM or e-mail me with questions. If enough people like the idea, I'll probably write alternate scenes for chapters, and e-mail them to you for your own entertainment.
Trials of Light and Dark
Punishment
The settings was in the top of the mansion, the highest room that only the leader of the dragons could normally enter. The White One often came here to meditate, or to hold meetings with his advisers, but today he has brought his offspring and his adopted son in to have a less-than-friendly chat with them. The leader laid on an enormous red circular bed, and four golden pillars surround the bed, holding up a beautiful pink sheet. The ground of the room was made of golden bricks, as well as the walls. Where the ceiling should have been, there was instead empty space, showing the star-filled sky, looking o' so beautiful. A strange, transparent green glow filled the space, though, an enchantment to ward off enemy attacks from the leader, if he so decided to sleep in the tower. There were also a three paintings of dragons infront of, and on both sides of, The White One's bed, in gold frames. A lush green carpet led from his bed to the heavy double-doors that led out of the room, and down a staircase. Glassless windows were everywhere on the walls, allowing anyone inside to see the entire mansion, which from this high up looked more like some kind of kingdom. This room was at the top of a tower, where the leader of the dragons' job would to be to look over all that he ruled, and protect it.
The White One roared down at the two children infront of him, "You've desecrated the sacred home of the gods and the dragons!"
Red-Eyes and Blue-Eyes gulped, and stared only at their father's feet, too afraid to look into his eyes.
"Normally, the punishment for this would be to kill you both infront of the rest of the dragons," at this time, Red and Blue gasped loudly, finally looking into The White One's eyes with a look that pleaded for mercy, and mercy they received, "but since you two are very close to me, I shall spare you from that punishment."
Blue-Eyes sighed with great relief, and licked at his father's feet gracefully, "Thanks, thanks!"
The White One growled softly at his son, causing the smaller blue dragon to back away next to his brother again, "Don't be so quick to give thanks. I'm still punishing you."
"Hey, come on, this isn't fair! All of this happened because-!" Red-Eyes yelled out angrily, but was cut off but his new father's following words.
"Silence! How dare you interrupt me! You shall receive far worse punishment than your brother for that. Your punishments are as follows: Our race grows larger every day. Despite how big this home is, we're running out of room. You two havn't ventured around much by yourselves, so you wouldn't know firsthand. So, I've planned to expand our home, and build a seperate building, more crude than this one. Only those who have broken our laws will help build this, it's their punishment. So, don't expect anyone to be nice to you two. Blue-Eyes, you will help the other adult dragons carry rocks and boulders that we'll use to build. Red-Eyes, you will help others melt those rocks into bricks, and cool them off, as well as making the paste we'll use to place them together; finally helping the others stack those bricks into their place."
Red-Eyes gaped his mouth open, and his eyes fumed with pure rage. His maw opened up to protest, but he was cut off yet again, "Don't speak unless you want to bathe and feed the tired dragons when they're too exhausted to work."
The White One looked over his two sons, and seeing that they had apparently accepted their punishment, he decided to dismiss them, "Since you decided to blow up your previous quarters, you two may sleep outside on the dirt of the training grounds. Leave at once," he rose to his feet, and pushed the doors open with his head. The other two young dragons walked down the staircase, and once the doors closed behind them, Red started a conversation with his brother.
"How could he do this to us? It's not even our fault, really! It all happened because of your stupid mother!"
Blue-Eyes growled, "Don't call my mommy stupid! Father's just trying to discipline us. It may seem pointless and harsh now, but we'll learn from it in the end."
The shadow laughed, "Learn? Learn what! We won't learn anything from it, our dad is just punishing us because he's a dick."
The blue dragon finally lost his temper, and snapped his jaws at his brother, closing them down over Red's neck, crushing off his air supply. He struggled to breath, limbs flailing in futility. His stomach was exposed to Blue, and he raised a claw, ready to strike, but instead, he released his grip over his brother, "Father loves us. Don't speak about him like that again," he licked at his lips, and swallowed Red's blood.
The black dragon felt his neck with his clawed hands. The scales that were protecting his neck had been crushed, and his neck was hurt badly, though not fatally. He looked at his brother with hurt eyes, and then angry eyes, and ran off down the staircase. Blue-Eyes did not say anything or run after him, but continued on at his own pace.
Blue thought to himself, 'He is wrong... isn't he? Oh, how could I even question that. Of course he is. He needs the punishment he'll receive, he'll learn from it. For now, I'll give him the space he probably needs, atleast for this night.'
Red-Eyes was the first one to reach the moonlit training grounds, obviously enough since he was running. It was empty and flat, like always, with a large pool in the middle that filled with rainwater and refilled again, sparkling from the moon. He hadn't noticed it before, since it was empty the other times he had been on the training ground, and the sight of this gloomy field was quite... comforting, in a strange way to Red. Just then, he saw a fellow dragon pierce from the surface of the pool, and then rest on the land, staring into the sparkling waters. The black child dragon was compelled to trot closer to the larger being, and sit next to its' head. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it was actually a dragoness, and she looked stressed, her muscles quite tensed up, but slowly relaxing. She raised her head and looked into the smaller one's eyes, flatly saying, "What?"
When Red heard the voice, he realized instantly that it was Lana. He then mentally slapped himself, telling himself that he should have known, but it was too hard to see her very clearly in the dark of the night. If he had known before, he wouldn't have came to her side, so he made an attempt to get away with words, "Oh, sorry, I didn't know it was you. I'll let you rest," and he turned away from the bitch of all bitches, beginning to walk away, but he was blocked off by a clawed hand, and pulled him closer.
"I heard you blew up our room," she said almost emotionlessly, but there was deifnately the slightest hint of anger in her voice.
"It was your fault, whore! You-!"
Just then, Lana opened her maw, and in an instant, held Red's head inbetween her powerful jaws, fangs barely touching his neck. He whimpered, as her fangs poke againts his wound he received from Blue-Eyes, and the blood dripped from his wound and onto Lana's tongue. She released the child, and swallowed the blood, "Ever call that me again, and I'll bite your head off, weakling. Because of you, I have to sleep outside."
Red-Eyes growled, "You deserve it, dog."
The dragoness slapped the inferior shadow, knocking him to his back. Then, Lana wrapped her lips around Red's wound. He struggled to get back on his feet, but he was pinned down by the giant muzzle. She began to dig her fangs into his wound, causing him to bleed more, and she suckled harshly, causing the little one to scream in pain. After getting a hefty amount of black blood, and then Red began to weaken, flailing rest, the life slipping out of his eyes. Lana released her grasp, and swallowed, rubbing her belly in near satisfaction, "Oh, does your blood taste so sweet, filled with much more taste than the old, run-down adults of your kind. I do hope you screw up more often, so I can drink the rest of your blood, and eat your carcass," she then flapped her massive wings, flying off into the distance, the strong force of wind hitting Red like a punch.
Once Lana had left, Red-Eyes slowly got up to his feet. He had never been hurt this badly, only little cuts and scraped that his mother had always licked and said he'd be better. He stared at the blood trickling from his neck and down his chest, not sure of what to do. In the corner of his eye, he saw Blue-Eyes finally exit from the tower's staircase, and the white dragon simply laid down a little ways from the enterance, and dozed off. 'Not caring to check on me, I see," Red thought to himself.
'Enough of you, though, my brother. Dear Lana, you drank my blood, and I swear, I'll drink yours.'
--- The next day... ---
Red-Eyes was awoken by a painful jab to his shoulder from a claw. He growled, and looked up, his eyes focusing slowly. It was The White One.
"Your punishment begins," he picked Red up with his mouth, and carried him. Red would have whined about it and called his false father names, but when he tried to speak, he couldn't, it hurt too much, and his throat and mouth felt dry, and as if it was on fire. He felt his neck wound, and upon touching it, it stung, and he barely managed a small hiss of pain. It wasn't enough to get The White One's attention. Red-Eye's wound had gotten infected.
The White One dropped Red-Eyes from his mouth, not bothering to lower his head to make the fall easier. He landed on the ground painfully, and was then instantly locked around the waist with a metal braclet, that was chained and connected with other braclets, which were all connected to other white dragons. Behind him was another row, which Blue-Eyes was chained to, both of the groups having ten dragons, not counting Red and Blue. The two brothers did their best to ignore each other.
"You all know your jobs. Do them," the leader white dragon ordered, and instantly all of the chained dragons flapped their wings, and began to fly off. Red-Eyes screamed, dangling from the chain wildly, becoming dizzly quickly, and then began to vomit, a mix of puke and blood. He started to feel himself lose conciousness, but he was then grabbed by a set of frail jaws, them belonging to whatever dragon was chained next to him. It was a relaxing moment, but he fainted anyways.
--- Blue's Punishment ---
Blue-Eyes turned to the dragon next to him, who was a very masculine, intimidating white, health-looking dragon. His muscles bulged even through his scales, and he appeared to look... old, but his fitness hid most of that aspect. From the looks of it, if he wanted to, he could probably break out of his binding chains with ease. The large dragon seemed to look angry, his face scowled and his lips almost frowning. But no matter what, he needed to talk to him. Blue cleared his throat, trying to get his attention.
"Ahem, hey... mister?"
The large dragon looked down at Blue, not saying anything. His harsh-looking eyes sent a shiver down the child's spine.
"Uhm, I'd like to ask you to... uhm, hold me, for the flight we'll have to the mountains. My wings are too weak to keep up with the rest, and I'd just dangle and choke to death on my chain," Blue-Eyes couldn't help but say this in a somewhat soft voice, feeling to intimidated to look into the other's eyes.
He growled from the pit of his throat, and then slowly lowered his head, getting a grip on Blue-Eyes in his mouth. The kid couldn't help but eep gently, afraid of the jaws, but of course he was unharmed.
"You all know your jobs. Do them," and upon his father's orders, all of the dragons flew off, the two rows of chained beasts heading off in two directions.
The minutes went by slowly, but eventually, the group of dragons landed. They were on a mountain, with many huge rock chunks loose. Blue-Eyes was released softly onto the ground once they touched land.
"Th-thanks..." Blue-Eyes looked up slowly once he was released. The only reply he got was a low grunt, and then all of the dragons picked up large boulders in their mouths, one by one. Blue-Eyes looked around, and picked up a small rock. He couldn't carry much more, considering his size and all. The thought went through his mind just then, 'If the dragon next to me is carrying a boulder, then what'll I do to prevent myself from choking on the chains?'
As if the dragon had heard Blue's thought, before he picked up a boulder himself, he spoke to the child, "Just grab onto my foot." The voice was deep and powerful, as to be expected.
Blue-Eyes set the rock in his mouth down for a second so he could thank the stranger, "I appriciate the kindness. My name's-"
"Blue-Eyes, I know. Son of the leader, royalty, not to be mistreated, I know all to well... And your next question was probably going to be, 'What's your name,' wasn't it?" The large dragon looked down at the amazed look on the kid, picking up the signal that he was correct, "Yatex." With that, he picked up a boulder in his mouth.
Blue-Eyes quickly picked up his rock again, grabbed onto Yatex's foot, and the group of dragons flew off in the direction that the other chained group was in.
---
Two tall, black dragons stared down at their younger child, their faces unrealisticly twisted into a bloody mess, fangs poking out from the side of their faces, eyes not in the correct place.
"You're a pathetic little runt," one of the black dragons said, having a warped male voice.
"We both hate you. Putting you in that hellhole of a home was the best thing I ever did for you," the female of the two said. It almost sounded like...
--- Red's Punishment ---
He raised up quickly from his unconcious state, and still in that strange confused state where you're not sure if you're dreaming or what's real, he yelled out, "Mom! MOM, I HATE YOU!"
Once he opened his eyes, he saw a sick-looking, dirty blue dragoness looking down at him, and she took a step back when Red yelled out.
"Hey, sweetheart, it was only a dream." Her voice was comforting, but held the hint of weakness.
Red-Eyes sat down, catching his breath. Yelling out like that had hurt his throat, since he had yet to do anything about the now-itching wound. He couldn't resist, and he scratched it, but it hurt so bad to do it that he yelped out loudly on touch, and fell back.
A male next to the sick dragoness noticed the kid, "He sounds like shit."
"Yeah, I think it's something to do with his throat," she lifted the shadow's chin up, and gasped at what she saw. "Oh! Wow, that's badly infected..."
"He'll die in a few hours if you don't do something about it. But then again, he's just a shadow..." The male said with slight anger in his voice. If Red was in better shape, he'd probably spit a fireball, but he was too tired.
The sick female snapped at her chainpartner, "Everyone deserves life!" She looked down at the wound closer, "We need to get some herbs, and wash it with wate-"
Before the female could finish, the rest of the chain group began to breath out fire. It was shocking to Red to see, because it was the first time he had seen a dragon other than himself make any sort of special attack like that. He thought everyone did more magical things, like him and his fireball, and Blue-Eyes and his energy ray, but apparently, they seemed to be basic fire-breathing dragons. For a second, he assumed they were all attacking him, but then he noticed rocks everywhere, set in a rectangular case. They were breathing fire onto the rocks, and melting them into large bricks.
The male next to the sick dragoness spoke, "No time, we have more important things to do than save scum."
The female would have spoke out againts such actions, but there was nothing she could do. She just looked down at Red, and mouthed the words, "I'm sorry," and she went on to helping the others melt the rocks with her comparably weak flamestream.
A few minutes went by, and then the anti-shadow male near Red took a moment to look down to him, "Hey, we're all supposed to help. Get off your whimpy ass and do something!" With that, he shot a short burst of flame at Red, which would have killed him in this weak state, but the female next to him saved his life with a blow of her breath, withering the flame to nothing but smoke.
"Look at him! He can't help, you prick! Do you want to work him to death!" She barked out at him.
With an angry glare, he nodded, "Actually, yes, that was the plan, and as far as I know, the law states that anyone who protects a shadow is automatically to be killed on sight..."
"But he was accepted into the land by the leader, so that law is overruled," the female protested.
"I'm willing to turn the other cheek for that fact," and just then, he leaped at the sick dragoness, and in her health, she was easily taken advantage of. As all of this happened, all the other chained dragons stopped their work, and turned to the fight, egging for them to fight on. She fell to the ground on her back, and her survival skills took over, barring her fangs at her enemy, blocking the attempted bites to her neck, and clawing at his face. She succeeded in giving the male a large bloody scratch across his eye, which would probably blind and scar that eye once it healed. He growled with pure rage, and slammed his head down, smashing it into the sick one's face. The blow knocked several of her fangs out and had bent her bottom jaw completely out of normal position. She coughed up blood, and began to choke. The male kept her pinned down, until she died from her own blood in her throat.
Red-Eyes held his eyes wide open, shocked at what he had seen. Before him, someone had given their life in attempt to save his, and had failed doing so. No one had ever cared for him that much as far as he knew, and this coming from a total stranger. She didn't deserve that, Red thought, she didn't deserve that!
Red slowly rose to his trembling feet, fangs barred. He tried to growl, but he couldn't manage it. His eyes were smoking with red rage, quite literally. This caught the male's attention, "Haha! Oh, what, you want to fight me and die like your little bitch friend? Fine by me."
The shadow opened his jaw, aiming at the taller dragon, "What now, you'll shoot your baby flame at me? Oh, do try, little one. Here, have a free shot, right here," he bent down closer to Red, pointing to his face. Very quickly, a small red and black ball formed in his mouth, and grew larger, and larger, until Red-Eye's jaw broke, a loud snap easily heard, but he didn't care. If it meant he could make a more powerful attack, then it was fine by him. The male quirked an eye at the small dragon, and before he could do anything, a ball of fire and evil shot out right into his face, blasting him back. The chains around his feet broke when he was pushed back by the ball, and he kept on flying for yards and yards, until he slammed into the side of a nearby mountain. On impact, the energy ball exploded, and caused an avalanche to hail down onto the white dragon. There was no motion from the pile of rocks after the dust had cleared.
All of the chained dragons looked down at the small shadow in fear. They took advantage of the fact that with the broken chains from his attack, they could now fly away from him, and so they quickly flapped their wings and flew away to the safety of their mansion.
Red-Eyes had giving that blast everything he had left of him. Every ounce of strength and energy. He fell to his side, breathing hoarsely, and his breaths slowly became more distant from each other, until they stopped altogether...
---
Author's Note: CLIFFHANGER!