Chapter Twenty Three-- The End
Last Author's Note: Well, here it is, the final chapter! It actually turned out to be pretty sick, so finish your snacks now…just in case. I felt pretty sad uploading this, knowing it would be the last one. Well, here it is, at last. Hope you all enjoy!
Warnings: character death, violence.
The church was filling with people, all of them reaching across one another to shake hands with as many other guests as they could manage. Names were exchanged in the haze of happiness that this day was bringing to all. For some it had come as a surprise, but for most Princess' Boa's trip to Midnight had been for nothing but publicity. This had been planned long before.
King Klaus was welcoming everyone with a firm shake of the hand, royal protocol being put aside for the joyous day. Gifts were placed one on top of the other, ready to be taken to the newlyweds home.
The twilight Palace had been repainted to the highest standard imaginable, and was being refurbished as fast the decorators could manage. As soon as his daughter's engagement had been made known to him, King Klaus had decided that the palace should be given to her, and the Royal family move to an earlier hour.
The church was filling up fast, and the groom was hovering about looking overwhelmed. King Klaus was happy that his son, Prince Quiffin, was looking after the young man. He remembered his own wedding, and recalled the nerves he had suffered on that day. With that thought, he decided to leave the busy room and find his daughter.
Princess Boa was standing in a side room, gazing at herself in the mirror. Her eyes looked sad, and her mind seemed far away. He watched her for a moment, his heart filling with pride, but unable to ignore her expression.
"Boa?" he said softly. "Why aren't you smiling?"
Boa snapped out of her thoughts, and smiled as if she hadn't even heard his question.
"I'm ready," she said quickly, as if she thought he had come to fetch her.
King Klaus shook his head.
"We have some time yet," he said. "I want to apologise for not telling you of what had happened to your friend Lord Carrion. It must have been a great shock to you… I know that he came to visit you."
Boa looked away. After Lord Carrion's visit, Boa had given the dog to Finnegan, and told him to say that he had found it dead. She had told him the true story later, and after that Finnegan must have told her father.
"It was a shock," Boa said in a faraway voice. "His face… there was such… pain."
King Klaus walked towards her and took her hands in his, Boa smiled at him, but he could see that it was strained.
"Boa, I know you have doubts about today, and that's ok!" he said, stopping her from interrupting him with her protest. "I did too, on my wedding day. But it's just nerves, they'll pass and you'll know that you made the right choice. I'm so proud of you Boa, and Finnegan is a good man."
"Yes, I know."
"You'll be happy together," he said holding her close to him, her head resting on his chest. "I wouldn't have given my blessing to anyone else."
They both knew that he was speaking about Lord Carrion, but neither wanted to speak the words. Instead the thoughts remained firmly in their minds only.
Midnight was dark. The inhabitants were living in a limbo of fear and intimidation. Ever since the news escaped the Thirteenth tower about their Lord's chastisement, the hour had been quiet. Building work on Prince Carrion's new city had been called to a halt, workers were told to go home, without much hope of ever returning to their jobs.
There was a sense that something was coming along with the changing weather. Those that lived in Gorgossium, were used to storms over the city. They usually coincided with Mater Motley's moods, the weather being something that she enjoyed abusing her power over.
Whilst the storm crept over the city slowly, it's rulers sat watching it from a high tower window. Carrion was silent, and Motley was watching him. There had been no more mention of Princess Boa in Midnight, not since Lord Carrion had been maimed.
Today, the day of her wedding, Carrion sat staring out of the window, his eyes blank and unseeing. His grandmother hovered about him, watching, waiting, she had more plans for him, and his present state of mourning was no use to her at all.
"She is making a fool of you," she said mockingly, pulling a thread through a new carcase of a stitchling.
Carrion said nothing.
"Fool," she repeated.
"I've done all I can," Carrion said. He said no more, aware already that his words were not the ones she wished to hear.
"They all laugh at you now. Can't you hear them? All your precious subjects, those that you wanted to… save from the dark."
Her words drew him away from the window, her voice was mocking, and yet, it drew him towards her.
"Show them that no one refuses the Lord of Midnight," she demanded, "Make them fear the Carrion name. Make it strong, you are the only one left. Do it, or your family died in vain!"
She pulled a piece of paper from under her pile of dead skins, and passed it in to his waiting hands. He saw that it had been ripped from a book, Boa's book, the one he had stolen at his grandmother's request.
"You have been planning this all along," he said blankly. He felt numb inside, as if every feeling had been turned off.
"All I need is your blessing, and it is done."
Carrion stood, the hate inside him was consuming him. It felt as if all hope was gone from his life, so what did it matter if he lost his soul now?
"Do it," he said in a voice barely above a whisper.
He left her to it, whatever dark magic she was about to perform he wanted no part in. He might have signed the death warrant, but he didn't wish to watch.
Boa waited nervously, everyone was still chattering within the church, and the bridal march was yet to play. Turning her face to the window, Boa noticed the wind change. She stared at the trees, they had been leaning gently to the left, but had become deadly still all of a sudden. Without warning, the wind pushed them roughly to the right, and dead leaves whipped by the window.
Boa frowned, but thought no more of it. The music had begun to play, and her bridesmaids filed into the room, tweaking her dress straight and pushing her out of the door. Her father smiled as she took his arm, and they stood facing the double doors that would lead them up the aisle, and to her new life.
Boa took a deep breath. This was it, she was getting married. All that worry and fear had been for nothing, Carrion hadn't tried to stop the wedding after all. With that thought, she smiled, and as the doors opened anyone who saw her in that moment, would never have guessed that she'd had any worries at all.
Finnegan was looking at her nervously, shifting his gaze from her, and then back to the alter, but always with a smile. Boa looked at her brother, and they shared a secret sigh of relief. They were all free from Carrion, nothing could ruin this now.
King Klaus placed Boa's hand in Finnegan's and stepped away, to stand besides his son. The guests were seated, and a hush fell upon them all.
"Horrible weather," Finnegan whispered so only Boa could hear.
Boa nodded as the service began with the ceremonious words, traditional day vows of marriage.
"It just came out of no where!" Boa whispered back.
No one was paying them any attention now, all ears were on the vows, until a mighty crack of thunder interrupted the drone of the ceremony. There followed the sound of embarrassed laughter from those that had jumped in surprise.
Boa looked across at her brother, neither of them were laughing.
"I didn't see any lightning," Boa mouthed, her eyes wide with fear.
She looked up at the ceiling as the service continued.
"Are you ok?" Finnegan asked.
"I don't think that was thunder," she said sounding breathless. Boa felt her heartbeat racing, it was him, she knew it. He was going to do something to ruin her day, she would bet money upon him being the one changing the weather. She prayed that was all he had planned.
"Shall I tell him to hurry?" Finnegan asked.
Boa bit her lip as she thought, it would seem an odd request, but the sooner they were married the sooner she would be safe.
The people of Midnight ran for cover. Darting into shop doorways, and hiding behind anything that they thought might protect them. Windows were slammed shut, and the air was filled with terrified screams.
Rain and hail fell upon them from what seemed like all angles, and anyone left out in the open were reduced to huddling together, as close to the ground as they could manage. The weather seemed to be attacking them, with unnatural force. And as sudden as it began, it ceased.
There was a brief moment of relief, before a frightened cry rang out from someone in a high building. All eyes turned skywards, strained with terror and fear, their doom was upon them, and they were unprotected.
"Dragon!" the man up high called. "Flying beast!"
Fire streaked across the sky and the air became thick with smoke. The people of Midnight turned upon each other in a desperate bid to hide out of the way of the dragon. Shop doors were kicked to the ground, and houses broken into, in order for the frightened residents to seek shelter from the streets.
Lord Carrion watched the dragon circle his city, it's large powerful wings creating strong gusts of wind with every movement. It cried into the night sky, a low cry of longing. It was alive because of magic, and it was all alone, the only one of it's kind.
Carrion knew the other dragon's in the Abarat, wherever they were, would hear it's mournful cries, and fear it. There was no other dragon like it, and never had there been, it was the only one, a true monster.
Carrion smiled and he saw the glimpse of pain the in creature's eye. It knew, it understood his suffering, because it suffered too. He had not intended to watch, but the screaming from his people had drawn him to the window. He had listened to their distress in a state of wonder, for he had learned something revolutionary about himself: he enjoyed their pain.
The more they screamed, the more he smiled, and as the dragon set fire to their homes, he laughed. All sense of remorse was gone, and he was determined that he'd never feel it again. No one could ever make him love again, compassion was his past.
The dragon turned to fly towards him, it's eyes crazed and looking for blood. Carrion stood still, watching it fly towards him, the demonic smile still upon his face. Had it snatched him up in it's jaws at that moment, he would not have cared.
A part of him knew that he deserved to die, for such a crime as he was about to commit, but the dragon simply flew straight over him, and towards the day.
Boa smiled as the service came to an end. Finnegan took her hand to place the wedding band upon her finger, and the musicians began to play a happy tune of celebration. Their first married kiss was applauded, and Boa laughed as she was swept up into the air to be carried outside.
"We'll sign the documents later then?" she asked grinning. Clearly Finnegan had forgotten about that. He blushed.
But before he could put her down, the double doors to the church swung open with a loud crash, and the wind and rain rushed inside. The outside door was banging on the wall, as if someone had opened it and left it swinging.
Someone stood to close the swinging door, only to stop, alarmed as a giant black shadow swept across the entrance and disappeared.
The occupants in the room looked at each other nervously, the cold draught forgotten.
"There it is!" someone yelled as the shadow passed over a window.
Boa held Finnegan's arm tightly as he set her down.
"What is it?" she asked urgently.
He shook his head.
"I don't know."
An ear-splitting cry pained their ears, as the shadow passed across the doorway once more. Finnegan moved towards Quiffin to hear his opinion, only to be pulled back by Boa.
"Don't leave me!"
"I'll be one moment," he said as reassuringly as he could manage.
"No!" she insisted.
Something cracked above them, and all eyes shot skyward.
"The roof is on fire!" a woman yelled, pointing to the ceiling.
Panic overtook everyone, and as they scrabbled for the nearest exits, Boa felt herself being pushed this way and that, as they all headed for the doors and into the rain. Finnegan had hold of her hand, and was leading her to the nearest door at the back of the church.
Suddenly Boa felt something strong wrap around her middle, like an arm, and was pulled backwards. She screamed as what was around her began burning her skin. Whatever it was, was covered in acid, and what began as a mild discomfort soon became agony.
Boa's screams were so wretched that it hushed all other screams immediately. Finnegan had a second to turn to look at her, before she was so quickly pulled away from that all she seemed was a blur.
"Boa!" he shouted in vain.
Everyone parted as he rushed after her, the cerimonial sword that had been at his side, now in his hand, ready to cut down anyone who got in his way. He managed to get to the door in time to see Boa pulled out into the rain, her face contorted in agony and fear.
Having never seen a dragon before in his life, Finnegan froze with fear. For what seemed like an eternity he stared at the beast, and it stared back, seemingly smug. Tattared bits of Boa's wedding dress dripped out of it's mouth, along with a steady steam of blood.
Without thinking, Finnegan jumped forwards and stabbed the beast in the eye. It howled in pain, and flame shot from it's mouth as it tried to move away. It's huge body was too slow on the ground, and as it lifted it's head, Finnegan plunged the sword deeply into it's neck. The blade sliced through many veins, and hot acidic blood poured out onto the floor. The dragon, growling in pain tried to crawl away, knowing that it was dieing. It's eyes lost all focus, and it's final movement was to swing it's wings high into the air, before they crashed down, lifeless.
Finnegan felt his legs giving way underneath him, but an arm wrapped around him for support and pulled him right again. He saw it was Quiffin, the man's face stained red with tears.
"Come on, we ca… can't," he could barely speak through his tears and shock, but Finnegan knew what he meant.
Walking to the dead beast's throat, they began to hack at it's flesh until the tunnel to it's stomach was revealed. Quiffin reached inside, something burned his hand but he could barely feel the pain. Under his fingers was his sister's hand, and grasping tightly he pulled.
"Father!" he yelled hysterically. "Father!"
Finnegan collapsed, his breath seemed caught in his throat and he couldn't fill his lungs. The sound of people crying was unbearable, and covered his ears to the noise. When Boa was pulled free, he couldn't make himself look at her. Quiffin had dropped her instantly, to turn and retch.
Boa's father was the only one brave enough to take her into his arms, and her mother stroked her burned and matted hair.
"Boa, why?" they kept muttering.
Her skin was burnt, red and blistered, and she barely looked like Boa at all. Someone handed them some of the silks that had been decorating the church and they gently wrapped her up.
It seemed like forever that they stood there. The tears never stopped, but they quietened. The sky was filled with black clouds, and the light of the sun had been all but blocked out until they were in darkness.
It didn't take long before the tragic news spread across the Abarat, and with it the horror and shock. Rumours began to follow, including the strange events that had happened in Midnight moments before.
Theories were formed, but nothing was proved. Slowly life began to continue, but with a sense of innocence lost. Life changed for many, but never so much in Midnight. The reign of nightmares had begun.
End.