"By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes."
― William Shakespeare, Macbeth
Pepper felt her heart quicken and Tony moved closer to her and took her hand in his.
"What is it, Dragon? Tell us..." he said tightly.
The Dragon soundlessly glided towards them and circled them. She looked up at it as it blew multiple clouds of smoke out of its nose.
It whispered slowly, I am a spirit, so I can travel between worlds and planes. I rarely leave Anthony because I have no need. But nearly a month back, at dawn I heard a voice calling to me. A voice, I thought I would never hear again.
The Dragon quickly swished through them and hovered over the smithy. Then it blew into the smithy and lit it with blue throbbing fire.
Come closer... come closer, my friends.
Then they heard a low young girlish voice whisper, "Ryunn, Ryunn, my friend, come to me. Seek me in the Abyss... I am waiting."
The Dragon puffed into the smithy, causing billowing smoke to spill from it.
Then Pepper saw a ghostly apparition appear from the smoke and she jumped back in fright. Tony caught her by the arms and steadied her.
"There now Pep, it is just a vision. Nothing to be scared of."
The apparition took shape and she saw it was a feminine figure with a sword, reaching towards them.
Again it whispered, "Ryunn, my friend, don't you remember me? Little Crow... come closer."
The vision faded and the Dragon circled the smithy. Tony moved to watch it as it mused slowly, I did not know what to think. The voice, the figure. And the name it called me... Little Crow..., it came to a stop and said in a hushed whisper, All the people who knew me by that name... are long dead.
It turned to them and said quietly, Coincidentally this happened on the day the Black Knight came. I did not know of your turmoil, Anthony because I had already disappeared into the Abyss. And I could not connect back to you for some time.
It puffed slowly and said, By the time I came back, you were interested in the Bloodstone. And here I...
The Dragon huffed and moved away from them. Then it lowered its voice. Here I made a grave mistake. Instead of paying attention to what you were doing, I was more interested in learning about the apparition.
You see... it hissed hard, I was blinded by hope, by memory.
Tony said quietly, "You thought it was your friend, the Lioness."
Yes, said the Dragon sadly, and I kept disappearing into the Abyss to search for her. To find her and... it drifted to the smithy and sadly looked into it, to bring her back...
The Dragon then straightened and blew hard onto the smithy, making the blue fire roar. Pepper stepped back quickly.
The Dragon roared angrily, That is how the Witch fooled me! For three weeks!
It whooshed in rage above them.
Pepper and Tony said in tandem, "The Witch!"
Yes! bellowed the Dragon now swirling fast, For days, I traveled deeper and deeper into the Abyss, trying to pin down the figure. And it would haunt me elusively with hints about its true identity. And finally I managed to catch up with it, only to realize it is a conjured spirit from memory!
Tony raised his hands and tried to flag the Dragon down. "Slow down, Dragon! I am confused!"
The Dragon slowed to a stop and drifted down to eye level. Put aside my experiences in the Abyss, for a moment. Think about Stane. He imprisoned Yin Sen because he wanted Yin Sen to give him the fire. He did not know enough magic to extract it.
It hovered close to Tony. But nearly three years later, when you saw Morganna in Carinthia, she had a magical device, powerful enough to extract the flame from you. Morganna called upon a Demon Prince, who gave her this power. But wasn't she just a court lady? It is not an easy task to summon a being from the depths of Hell. How did she get enough expertise to call upon a Prince of Darkness?
"She mentioned a wizard," said Tony softly, "could it have been Stane?"
It must have been. If so, how did Stane get this knowledge? Because when we met him, he didn't know this. Now think about the undead Gieruscu. Do you think Stane is a powerful enough mage to create such a creature? And knowledge of the Celestial Being and the ability to guide the Menolestes into calling down such a presence. Again dark arcane knowledge, not known to many, let alone a simple wizard.
It drifted towards Pepper. Virginia, my dear, when Stane came to your kingdom, he knew a little too much, didn't he? How could a man know about the power of pyromancy being handed down through generations of women of a noble house? And of a magical relic, the Necklace of Summac? Isn't it a closely guarded secret known only to members of the house of Potts?
She nodded, seeing the Dragon's point.
The Dragon huffed loudly. These aren't ordinary facts to learn or come by. And then, it huffed slowly at her, Didn't you mention seeing a great lidless amber eye talking to you? When you used your power?
Pepper swallowed hard and Tony took her hands in his. She looked into his brown comforting eyes and whispered, "Yes, a dark voice, it wasn't Stane, it spoke to me, urging me to hurt him.."
Tony said tightly, "When I heard your story, I mistakenly thought Stane had become so powerful, that he could project his mental thoughts externally, trying to influence you. But what if it isn't him? What if there is someone else?"
Then she gasped as she remembered the words of the Black Knight. "The Black Knight said, its master is not from this Earth. It is...," she thought hard, trying to remember the thing's words, "He called it a wanderer? A being from the depths of the Abyss... this thing that created it."
Tony said harshly, "Could the Witch be this Master, that is spoken of? Could Stane have found her or called upon her in his learning of dark magic?"
The Dragon drifted slowly, seemingly lost in thought. It has to be the Witch. Who else knew enough to create a vision, so true to the form of my friend, Suadh? And I saw the Witch fall but she didn't die... she disappeared into a portal.
It moved with purpose then, making Virginia slightly dizzy.
Here's what I know. Stane or his Master wanted to capture Virginia. For that they needed you, Anthony, to be incapacitated. They also knew I wouldn't just let you walk into certain danger. That I can sense magic. So they fooled me into entering the Abyss, where they know, Anthony, that you cannot reach me. And they distract me there.
Tony said tightly, "After that, I am blinded by the Bloodstone working on my insecurities."
Troubled enough to doubt Virginia. And the Bloodstone drove you to try and break your relationship with her. If you had done so, she would have left this Keep. And perhaps Stane would have been waiting to capture her then. Said the Dragon sorrowfully. Again I would not have let this happen, I would not have let you fall so deep under the Bloodstone's spell!
"So to prevent you from helping Tony, you are called into the Abyss." Said Pepper, seeing the pattern. "But Dragon, what happened to you in there? Where you attacked?"
THE Dragon huffed a huge wad of smoke in irritation. I am so angry at myself! I followed this apparition right into a trap. A force field of energy trapped me in the Abyss. Binding me tight as the Bloodstone worked its darkness on you, Anthony.
It moved towards Pepper and huffed gently onto her, ruffling her hair. But you, you were the only one of us who held fast. Your quick presence of mind noticed the effect the Stone had on Anthony and you destroyed it in time. You had faith in your Knight. Thank the heavens for that, Virginia. Thank the heavens for you.
She flushed and Tony grinned, cupping her cheek. "Teacher's pet..." he murmured with a wink.
She smiled and asked the Dragon, "So how did you escape?"
The Dragon took a deep breath. I finally learned that the force field was tailored to contain any object of my energy i.e. spirit fire. So I went cold, I lowered my fire's temperature and managed to break free. But it was a struggle.
Then I came back and saw, much to my relief, that you were alright, Anthony. So I went back in to determine what had happened. I searched far and wide looking for the Witch but I could not find her. That's when you started getting those dreams about me... my memories. I was reliving them, searching for clues and because of our powerful connection, you saw them too. I hope they did not upset you too much.
Tony smiled gently and said, "I just felt sad. They didn't upset me. Not like the ones the Stone gave me..." he shuddered at the memory.
The Dragon took a deep breath and looked at them. But I sense a growing tension in the Abyss.
"A tension..." whispered Pepper in dread.
Just like the ice on the frozen Lake cracks under pressure, so is the Abyss somehow stretched thin. As if it is being forced to break from the inside. As if something is preparing to break free from it. Whispered the Dragon.
Then it puffed out clouds of smoke. I feel... that the Witch wants to do, what she intended to do, all those centuries ago.
"Break the Abyss..." whispered Tony.
Yes... if that plane is broken, all sorts of evil and dark fell beasts will besiege this earth. There is no limit to what can be called from the Abyss. You have seen it, Anthony, you know it is an infinite divider between worlds. A plane purely composed of dark energy. The Witch may also seek to harness this power to use it, to make herself a literal queen of darkness. She is powerful enough to manipulate that much energy and with it, she can rule this earth and beyond. She will be unstoppable.
It drifted towards Tony and tilted its head at him. She has already sent things from the Abyss. The Black Knight and the other ball creature. Something foul. What was it called?
"The Mugermutch? Asked Pepper.
Yes. Those are not ordinary beasts, conjured by magic. The Witch is able to move between this earth and the Abyss. Just like me. The difference is she is able to bring things out of it and I cannot.
"What does she want with Pepper, then?" asked Tony angrily.
She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him as the Dragon slowly floated over the smithy.
It hissed softy, The Necklace of Summac... an orb of energy... could it also work as a key?
"A key?" exclaimed Tony, confused, but Pepper understood what the Dragon was taking about.
She stepped closer to the smithy, Tony behind her.
"Dragon, you said that the Abyss itself is a plane of energy. A very powerful field of pure dark energy. What if the Necklace can match the energy in that plane and open it?"
The Dragon puffed gently, That is what I am think too, Virginia. I feel the Necklace is powerful enough to match any energy signal. It can break the Abyss. And here's where you come in.
She shook her head, confused. "But I have never been able to control the Necklace."
It said softly, My dear, have you ever truly tried it?
Pepper shook her head. "I only learned of its existence, when I was 16, when I discovered a book in the library detailing the story of how my ancestors got their power. But not much was written about its powers."
Yes, hissed the Dragon thoughtfully, The gift from a magical half-god to its Acolytes. None of your ancestors wanted anyone to know of its existence, so they kept it hidden well. But what is the saying associated with your power? Ignis aurum probat...
What if only a true descendant of Summac could control it? Someone as powerful as the very first woman from your family, to have this power...
The smoky spirit drifted closer to her face and gently puffed onto her. The Fire tests the Gold... You have been tested in multiple ways and you have blazed through your trials. Your fire burns with the avatar of a phoenix, a bird reborn from the flames. You are a true daughter, Virginia. You know this to be true. Wasn't the phrase mentioned under your portrait in the library?
Pepper sighed and nodded. Tony kissed the side of her head. "So Stane needs Pepper to control the Necklace because he can't. But even the Witch cannot control it?"
No... she cannot. The Witch can conjure fire through magic but the ability to control the Necklace, must be out of her reach and believe me, she must have tried her best.
The Dragon rose above them both and towards the window. It stared out into the bright afternoon sun.
"We know what the Witch wants and that Stane is with her. What must we do next?" asked Tony quietly.
The Dragon hissed slowly, We must be vigilant and be prepared.
Tony nodded and Pepper narrowed her eyes. She asked slowly, "Be prepared for a fight?"
The Dragon whispered, Yes, this will be a fight like no other. The Witch will not stop until she gets what she wants. There is no limit to what she is willing to do. You have seen what she has done so far. You need to be prepared for the worst. It turned towards them and huffed loudly. Both of you...
Pepper swallowed hard, feeling the horrible ache of fear fill her. The thought of facing Stane and that horrible lidless eye, made her feel like crying.
Then she felt Tony take her hand and turn her to face him. He cupped her cheek. "Pepper, we both need to prepare. Do not worry, we will be vigilant. You and me. Together."
She hugged him then as Tony said firmly, "Dragon, we are not going to charge into Cumbria to face this Witch. Frankly, it is not necessary and we are not ready. Let Stane and his whatever have the Necklace."
The Dragon puffed out smoke slowly. I understand Anthony, I feel the same. I am just advising you to be vigilant. And based on my experience in the Abyss, I have a training suggestion for you both.
Pepper looked up from Tony's neck, her arms still around him. "Do tell us, Dragon, please." she said.
You should practice lowering the intensity of your flame. Indirectly changing its signal. That way, if the Witch decides to use a force field against you, you will be able to break it, using your flame.
Tony nodded thoughtfully. "That is a good suggestion. We will focus on that the next time, we train, Dragon, thank you."
The Dragon drifted towards them, circling them slowly. Open your Arc, Anthony, I must return.
He did so and then the smoky being hissed slowly. Before I take my leave, I must say something else.
They both looked at it as it moved its head from side to side, seeming very indecisive.
Then it looked between them, speaking deeply, I am ashamed that when you both needed me the most, I was not there. Especially you, Anthony.
Tony opened his mouth in astonishment.
The Dragon said sorrowfully, I should have stayed with you, I should cautioned you against the Bloodstone. Instead I went to chase a ghost. The Abyss brings back shadows of the dead, not the dead themselves. I failed my friend, Suadh, all those years ago and this time, I failed you as well. I apologize to you, with all my heart.
Then it lowered itself to the floor and bowed deeply, nearly touching the floor with its mighty head.
"Dragon!" exclaimed Tony, "You didn't fail me! I was angry at that time but I realize you had to do what you had to do."
He lowered himself to his knee and looked at the smoky spirit, head still bowed.
"You have been with me for so long. You have helped me in so many ways and thanks to you, I am a better man and," he looked up at Pepper, "I met the love of my life. You cannot have failed me, old friend. Come now, no apologizing please."
The Dragon rose and nudged Tony with its head, puffing smoke all over him. He laughed and then it came towards Pepper and softly nuzzled her face. She felt its ghostly spirit touch her and she smiled, leaning into the caress.
I am very fond of you both, remember that always. It hissed gently and then added mischievously, Virginia more than you, Anthony, at times. Then it roared with laughter and whooshed back into his Arc as Tony scowled.
Pepper could not help but giggle as Tony shut his Arc, muttering, "Has to have the last word, always, it just has to."
Then he took her hands and pulled her hard against him.
"Now my love," he whispered tenderly to her, "what were we doing before we were interrupted... oh yes..."
He kissed her slowly and she wound her arms around his neck, kissing him back passionately.
"Tony," she murmured as he kissed her cheek, "We need to think about the training, the Dragon spoke off."
"Later, my love, later..." he whispered softly and she decided to agree with him because today they had each other, no matter what may come tomorrow.
So right from Adventure 1, Stane and his Master seem to have had a hand in every villainous calamity our heroes have faced, from the Slavers to the Demon Lord to the Menolestes.
And I have shown the Serpent using the Necklace but it is only using it to observe Pepper. It cannot use it for its true purpose.
And the biggest point of them all: The Dragon feels Stane is working with the Witch. But the Serpent has clearly mentioned more than once, that it wants Pepper to use the Necklace to break the Abyss to bring back its Queen or the Witch. So then who is the Serpent? You are all very smart (esp igotyoufirst, who has been pointing out plot holes in my fic, right from Adventure 1). I am sure you will figure it out :)
I have tried to tie all the loose ends together but if there is anything I have missed, do let me know.
