Chapter Five: Grah
"Shyvana, go run now" her father rumbled turning to look his daughter in the eyes.
Shyvana was stunned unable to move she looked into her father's eyes. They were glowing a soft blue pleading with her to listen. She shook her head and steeled her emotions.
"No father, I will never leave your side we are stronger together" fire blazing in her purple eyes.
Her father paced frantically in front of the lair glancing back and forth between Shyvana and the sky.
"This is no time for arguments daughter please do as I command I can't see you get hurt or worse" he whispered hanging his head.
A mighty roar split the sky as a black beast came down upon the two dragons.
"Nevonaar" Onik hissed and bared his fangs growling threatening.
"Drem yol lok Onik, im glad you remember me and awe yes the little Halfling" Nevonaar laughed darkly. "It has been many years since we've last met I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me. Come Onik let us speak all can be forgiven if you give me that retched abomination" He smiled showing off a maw of gleaming fangs. He pointed to Shyvana with an outstretched talon.
Shyvana looked at her father and the dragon that had tormented her all her life and stole her mother rage boiling beneath her skin. She dropped down on all fours and bared her teeth at Nevonaar growling. Her skin darkened and tiny black scales crept up her arms and around her eyes. Long talons replaced her nails, the whites of her eyes disappearing until her whole eye was shining an ominous purple. Her hair began to billow around her as she summoned flames.
Nevonaar looked at Shyvana fake fear plastered his face and he laughed into the afternoon sky. "Please my dear you do not distill fear into my heart. I am fear embodied. Come let us play" he approached her ignoring the idle threats of her father.
"STOP, you will never take my daughter you wretched beast" Onik spat charging Nevonaar.
Two great bodies collided sending out a great shock wave throughout the forest. Nevonaar was surprised by the other dragon's outburst never knowing Onik to be an aggressor. He was to slow and his body too large to maneuver in the heavily wooded area. Onik barreled down on him a mass of claws and teeth biting into the soft flesh of his shoulder tearing away the armored plates. Nevonaar hissed and raked his claws along Onik's underbelly. Onik swiped at the other dragon's wing slicing through it and released Nevonaar from his jaws jumping away panting. Silver blood pooling around his feet oozing from his wound. He stumbled and shook his head.
"Father" Shyvana screamed. Onik looked to Shyvana caught off guard.
Nevonaar lunged at the other dragon digging his talons into Onik's shoulder and chest, he opened his maw trying to snap the dragons neck in his mouth. Onik turned his head and slammed it into Nevonaar chin before he could close his mouth around his neck. Nevonaar bellowed with rage and closed his mouth clamping down around Onik's golden horn and the top his head.
A great cracking could be heard and Shyvana shivered as her father's eyes went wide and he screamed. Satisfied Nevonaar released his prey and jumped back. Laying on the forest floor was a shimmering chunk of Onik's horn.
Shyvana looked at her father in horror he was struggling on the ground silver blood oozing from his wounds. Pain and anguish marred her father's face, he looked at Shyvana and tried to smile coughing up great puddles of blood.
Something in Shyvana snapped as she looked at the dying form of her father. The only creature in all Valoran that had ever showed her any kind of love, he raised her, taught her everything she knew, he protected her and she would protect him. Shyvana fell to her knees and roared to the heavens. She brought her hands up to her head grasping her horns and screamed her bones snapping and elongating a great tail sweeping out behind her. Her arms stretched and reformed into massive wings her face elongating into a snout full of gleaming white fangs. She stood on her hind legs her black scales glistening in the sunlight a mane of thick purple fur ran down her back and glowing purple eyes focused on Nevonaar she roared.
"Bravo" Nevonaar sneered at Shyvana. He inhaled a great breath his chest expanding and glowing a brilliant orange he let a current of flames envelop Shyvana. Onik screamed as he watched his daughter get consumed by the orange firelight. Nevonaar fell forward panting as the fire enveloped Shyvana smirking he looked at the helplessness in Onik's eyes.
Suddenly the mass of orange fire began to swirl with bright purple flames before exploding knocking Nevonaar back on his haunches. Shyvana exploded from the fire ball purple flames licking at her body scorching the earth beneath her feet. She lunged at Nevonaar and snapped her jaws at his throat she clamped down crushing his armored scales. The larger dragon hooked his hide legs into Shyvana's underbelly to try and pry her off. Shyvana hissed and dug her talons into his wounded shoulder twisting and shredding his muscles. He swung his tail around hitting Shyvana in the back the spikes digging deep into her side and sent her crashing away from him. Shyvana hit the ground and rolled her wing getting tucked under her immense weight at an odd angle snapping it like a twig. She screamed her eyes locking with her fathers.
Onik weak from blood loss stood and summoned the last of his remaining strength he roared his chest expanding glowing with a brilliant soft light, flames of pure starlight erupted from his maw towards Nevonaar. The dragon turned towards Onik his eyes wide he tried to bring up a wing to shield his face from the star fire but he was to slow. He screamed as the fire burned through his scales and scorched his face blinding him on his right side. he turned toward Onik and charged his remaining red eye blazing with hatred. He slashed the celestial dragon with his talons raking across Onik's wounded chest sending him stumbling away from him.
"Father, no please" Shyvana wheezed trying to get to her knees having returned to her human form. Nevonaar turned and looked at Shyvana hovering above her father one taloned fist ready to pierce his heart. Onik shifted under the weight of the massive dragon his long slender body getting crushed he coughed up silver blood. He lashed out at the black dragon and caught his throat in his jaws weak from exhaustion he was unable to crush his windpipe. Onik thrashed and Nevonaar plunged his talons into the smaller dragon's side. Onik's eyes flew wide open and he gasped releasing his neck from his jaws black blood oozing from the wound unto his face.
Nevonaar backed up and looked at the dying celestial dragon in front of him his half-blood disgrace crawling to his side. He smirked confident that their wounds would kill them he took to the skies to watch at a distance and lick his wounds.
"Aazrii Onik hi lost gein do zok suleykaar dovah tol dun Valoran hi threw nii pah hond fah thokus mun wiizaan. aus ahrk dir wuth fahdon" he shouted down at the sight before him Onik's eyes tracking his every movement before he disappeared.
Shyvana crawled to her father he left arm hanging uselessly at her side streaks of blood following in her wake. She cradled the dying celestial dragons head in her lap looking deep into his clear blue eyes. She began to weep hugging his head to her chest. She stroked his cheek his scales warm and smooth to the touch.
"Please, don't die on me father, please don't leave me all alone" she wept her eyes glazing over blurring her father's form. He coughed silver blood pooling on the ground around them mixing with the blood from Shyvana's wounds creating swirls of red and silver.
"Shyvana my daughter my unazom, remember nothing is permanent in this wicked world not our troubles nor our sorrow no sadness lasts forever" he gazed into her beautiful purple eyes and it brought tears to his eyes for he knew this would be the last time he gazed upon the face of his beloved daughter.
"Father please don't go where I cannot follow, I can't make it on my own, I'm nothing but a curse an abomination" she cried holding her father's head leaning her forehead on his.
"You will go on to do many things in life my Shyvana. You are the best of both human and dragon you can survive, you can thrive. Just as the phoenix rises from the ashes you too will rise. Returning from the flames clothed in nothing but your strength more beautiful than ever before" he smiled at her; tears running down Shyvana's face dripping down his scales onto the ground.
"I can't lose you like I've lost everyone else" she whispered peering into his eyes. She sniffed and wiped her hand across her face marking her pale skin with his blood. He looked at her and sighed then looked into the sky he hadn't noticed the darkness loaming around them. He smiled as he saw the first star of the night shining brightly above them. He motioned to it with a sweep of his head.
"I return to the stars from which I was born, I love you Shyvana my ulaan lein" he rumbled softly closing his eyes and took one final deep breath.
The forest was deathly quiet the only sound was Shyvana's breathing. She looked down at her father tears pooling in her eyes dripping onto his still face. She began to weep uncontrollably shaking his still form. She laid her head on her father's forehead and held him tight.
Il kill him father, I'll kill every single creature that ever wronged us that is my purpose now the rage is beyond my control she thought to herself opening her eyes she lifted her head and looked into the starry night sky and shrieked a great sorrowful sound.