Jacy: I swear I'm gonna get those two…
Sorry for taking so long to update, but I had to think about how to do this chapter and I hope I made up for it by the length. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted things I use, I do own my OCs and this story.
Extra Disclaimer: Serenity belongs to phoenix firewing and Dax belongs to Alec the Dark Angel.
xXxXxXxXxXx
Chapter 7: Demons of the Past
Blane opened his eyes and saw that he was standing in a dark cave. Torches hung on the walls, granting light but an eerie feeling as well. The flames cast shadows on the stone walls that only added to the foreboding feeling.
Blane looked over to his side to see Rurik grabbing a torch off the wall. With his other hand he grabbed the hilt of his sword and unsheathed it. The shining metal gleamed in the torchlight, giving the blade an ethereal look.
"Let's move," Rurik said, holding the torch out in front of him as he began to walk forward. Blane followed closely behind him and the two of them felt the adrenaline pumping through their bodies, putting them on edge.
It was because of this that they jumped when they heard the sounds of someone breathing and chains rattling. Rurik gripped the handle of his sword tighter and Blane readied his element to be launched when he was ready, but neither of them slowed as they got closer and closer to the noises. When they saw the source of them, they were shocked into stopping.
Chained to a wall a little ways ahead of them was an adult dragon. He had the same appearance as Fear, though this dragon had several more wounds than him. The other difference was his eyes; while Fear had crimson red eyes, this dragon was watching them with electric blue ones. He looked lethargic and frail, the life gone from his eyes.
He lifted his head off the ground, allowing them to see the shackle around his neck that chained him to the wall, and spoke weakly, "Another hallucination to break me further?"
"No, Aidan, we're real and we're here to help you," Blane said kindly, taking a step closer to the feeble dragon.
Aidan just shook his head slowly and sighed, "They always say that…"
"But you don't know who we are," Rurik pointed out as he and Blane reached him and knelt down, "Why would you hallucinate strangers that wanted to help you instead of friends or family?"
Aidan hesitated in answering and Rurik used this time to bring his blade down onto the excess chain that was lying on the stone floor. The chain shattered at the impact point, freeing Aidan who looked at the broken restraint in shock.
"H-how…?" He spoke, stunned, not looking away from the shattered chain.
"I told you," Blane said, he and Rurik standing back up, "We're here to help you, and that involves getting you free so you can fight the thing controlling your mind and body."
"Thing? Now that's not very nice…" said a childish voice from deeper in the cave, feigning hurt.
"That voice…" Rurik said, looking into the blackness of the cave in front of them with a look of disbelief, "It can't be…"
xXxXxXxXxXx
Cain flew almost silently; his eyes locked onto the sight in front him. The temple in the center of the city was giving off a foreboding black light, the glow pulsating as if it was alive. He could hear the sounds of a battle going on and immediately picked up the speed, realizing Serenity was in there somewhere.
He arrived there in moments and touched down in the courtyard. The battle seemed to have moved elsewhere, but the evidence of one was obvious. There were scorch marks everywhere, chucks of the building and ground were missing, water dripped from the trees and the overhang of the temple, and ice spikes were stuck in trees and the walls of the temple.
"Damn it," Cain cursed, looking around at all the carnage as he walked towards the entrance of the temple, "They did manage to get past the wall, but how? We reinforced it against any means of getting past it!"
"But only while the sentries on the wall were alive," responded a new voice from behind him. Cain spun around to see another cloaked, Death's Embrace member leaning against one of the trees that did not get hit by an ice spike. Unlike the ones he'd seen previously, this one had their hood down and Cain easily recognized this one as a woman. Her black hair was tied back in a ponytail and her eyes were a glistening crimson.
"You bastards killed them?" Cain roared in fury, feeling the fire at the back of his throat screaming to be let out.
"Most of them, yes," the woman answered, grinning maliciously, "A few of them ran, but we will find them soon enough."
Faces began to pass by Cain's mind's eye, faces belonging to those that Cain had seen go to guard the wall, some of which he'd convinced to do so. He felt rage begin to cloud his rational thoughts, rage that he hadn't felt since he thought his son had tried to perform the Vredranx Ritual after learning about it from a group of nomads and failed.
Cain began to let loose the fire from his maw, but before he could, vines shot out of the ground and wrapped his jaw shut as well as bound his legs and wings in place. His eyes zoned in on the woman whose hand had moved, now pointing in his direction with her palm facing up with her fingers curled upward as well. Cain growled in frustration as he was unable to shout the profanities he wanted to.
"Aww, what's the matter?" the woman asked with a look of mock concern as she walked over to him, "Upset because you can't burn little ol' Lilia to a crisp?"
Cain was only able to growl and glare at her in return. She rubbed her hand against his scaled cheek almost lovingly, but all it did was infuriate him more. He jerked forward, straining against the bonds in a futile attempt to break free, to intimidate her. It was pointless as she didn't move nor even change her mocking expression.
"Sorry big guy, but these vines have held back bigger and stronger things than you," Lilia said sweetly, but hardly hiding the contempt behind it, "You're stuck until I decide to let you go."
"Then you better decide to now," said a new, yet familiar voice. Cain was unable to look to where the voice came from, but recognized it as his son's, Athkor's. Lilia, however, was able to and she looked over to where Athkor stood at the bottom of the steps. His red scales glinted in the light given off by the setting sun, while Lilia regarded him with an innocent look.
"Aww, how sweet," she said with a false tone of sincerity, "The prodigal son coming to the rescue of his arrogant father. Surely you don't share that trait and think you can defeat me all by your lonesome?"
"I don't think I can beat you, I know I can," Athkor said, "And I didn't come alone, either. If you looked behind you, you'd see that."
Lilia turned around to see Fian and Hunter with their bows pointed at her with arrows nocked and ready to fire, a midnight-blue dragon that Cain recognized as the one that helped Deryx so long ago, and a black-and-silver robed man with piercing blue eyes and silverish-grey hair that Cain recognized as Deryx's magic instructor.
"You think you and your friends scare me?" Lilia asked disdainfully, "I am a member of Death's Embrace; fear has no hold over me."
"You see," Athkor said, taking a step forward as both of his eyes turned completely crimson with no other color showing, "That's where you're wrong."
xXxXxXxXxXx
Jacy stood in a furniture store that had been turned into a makeshift planning room with the other surviving leaders of the Survivors. The council of sorts used to have fifteen members, but now there were only seven left alive, only six of whom were present. The seventh member was Kera, and Jacy was once more reminded of her obvious absence.
The rest of the 'council' consisted of himself, Fera, Aingeru, the Elemental Marked One whose name was Marie, a shape-shifter named Acelan, and a grizzled war veteran who everyone called Smoke.
Marie was a year younger than Jacy with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail, deep brown eyes, and stood at about 5'7". She wore a blue t-shirt with a silver 'E' over her left breast, a pair of hip-hugging black pants, and a pair of grey tennis shoes. Strapped to each of her thighs were holsters that held a Mac-11 in each.
Acelan refused to tell anyone how old he was, but he appeared to be in his late twenties with short black hair and blue eyes. His skin was a pale blue color and he was about 5'11" tall. He wore a skin-tight, black leather suit that clung to his skin and outlined his muscles as if he were shirtless.
Smoke was somewhere in his late forties or his early fifties and gave off an air of cynicism. He wore an urban camouflage uniform that was a mixture of grey, black, and white splotches, a pair of black combat boots, and had the strap that was attached to a Commando Assault Rifle over his right shoulder. He had buzzed down grey hair under a grey army cap and calculating brown eyes.
Jacy and Aingeru listened as Fera and Smoke squabbled over what to do now that Jacy had returned, while Marie and Acelan found the ceiling very interesting.
"The people wanted to stay in the city until Jacy returned, so we complied against our better judgment," Smoke said angrily, "He's back, so we should get the hell out of here!"
"Absolutely not!" Fera shouted, slamming her palms down onto the wooden table they all stood around, "My sister, who is also a member of this council, knew we were in this city last. It'll be the first place she looks when she escapes!"
"That's if she escapes," Smoke argued, crossing his arms, "How do we even know she's still alive, anyway?"
"Because Jacy would be a blubbering mess if she wasn't!" she told him, but after the skeptical look he gave her added, "Show him your right arm, Jacy."
"I don't think—" Jacy began slowly, holding up his arms in defense. He wasn't at all surprised that Fera knew of the empathic link he and Kera shared, but that didn't mean he wanted anyone else to know.
Fera, however, didn't share this reluctance as she cut him off, "I don't care what you think! Show him!"
Deciding it best not to argue, Jacy pulled up his sleeve to reveal the green dragon tattoo-like image that curled from just below his wrist all the way up to his shoulder. The image had changed very little since Jacy had looked at it earlier, but it had since cooled and no steam came off it.
"This is the physical manifestation of the empathic link Jacy and Kera share," Fera explained to the old soldier, "It allows them to feel what the other does, so if Kera was dead then Jacy wouldn't be any use to anyone as he'd pretty much be the same."
"Why would something like that even be used?" Smoke demanded, "It sounds like a hindrance than an advantage!"
"Because—" she began but Jacy cut her off.
"Because it allows us to be connected to the one we care about more than life itself on the most intimate of levels," he said irately, glaring at Smoke as he fixed his sleeve, "Making us stronger and closer than we'd ever be without it."
"It also gives you a weakness that your enemies, specifically Merikh, can exploit," Smoke countered, glaring back at him.
"Maybe so, but he has yet to use it and that means he either doesn't know of it, which I doubt, or he won't use it," Jacy said, trying his hardest to stay calm, "Merikh isn't one to hold onto an advantages, he either uses it or he doesn't."
"And you know this how?" Acelan spoke cautiously, his voice carefully neutral.
"When Kera and I fought Merikh the first time, we brought a group to deal with his underlings, one of whom was a mind-reader," he responded, glad it wasn't Smoke who had asked as it was still a tender topic for everyone who had been there, "She looked into his mind and was able to tell us what kind of person he was before he killed her."
"Hanna…" Marie murmured softly, remembering the gruesome sight of the poor girl being blown to pieces by Merikh's ability of Destruction. She rubbed her arms as she shivered and began to cry at the memory and Acelan wrapped her in a comforting hug.
"What do you suggest we do, Jacy?" Aingeru asked, looking over at the Creation Marked one with a raised brow.
"I suggest we have the Survivors remain here," he said slowly, "While I go get Kera back from Merikh."
"No!" Marie shouted, pulling away from Acelan as her hands ignited with blue flames, a normal occurrence when she was angry about something.
"Hell no!" Acelan agreed.
"Not happening!" Fera yelled, glaring at Jacy.
"That's suicide!" Smoke added.
"I told you they wouldn't let you," Aingeru commented, chuckling at their simultaneous responses.
"Look, if I go alone then I'll be able to fight him one-on-one," Jacy tried to explain, but Fera didn't listen.
"Merikh doesn't fight fair, you should know that better than anyone," she told him, jabbing his chest with her finger, "I want my sister back too, but this isn't the way to rescue her!"
"We may not have to," Aingeru said, causing everyone to look at him in confusion, "Does your mind seem a bit…quieter, Jacy?"
"Well, now that you mention it…" he trailed off as realization set in, "Those tricky bastards…"
xXxXxXxXxXx
"Alcatraz…" Kera whispered, looking out from the island she and the others were on to the city of San Francisco, "Why did it have to be Alcatraz?"
"What's so bad about Alcatraz?" Kain questioned, looking over at her, "Besides it being a former prison that used to house some of the worst criminals ever, I mean."
"This island was a prison long before ay buildings were here," she said, shifting back and forth on her feet uncomfortably, "An entire race of monsters were imprisoned here, creatures so foul that their very name was wiped from history. They are only known as the Forgotten Ones now, but it is entirely false. Everyone who has ever had a nightmare knows them, and fears them. Every creature fears the dark, they're the reason why."
"It's not like they survived being imprisoned here for so long, right?" Nathan asked nervously, looking at Kera for reassurance. He was disappointed, however.
"The charms and enchantments placed here made it the perfect prison for these creatures," Kera spoke reluctantly, "They can't even escape by dying. No, unfortunately, they are very much alive."
Nathan swallowed fearfully while Dax whimpered softly and squirmed in Kera's arms.
"Well, let's get out of here before they show up," Wolf said, shaking himself.
"They already have," Kera said, turning around. The others did as well and nearly screamed at the sight they saw. Standing there were hundreds of grey-skinned creatures that looked humanoid in shape. They looked to be only three feet tall, but it was hard to tell as they were all crouching. Their arms and fingers were long, tipped with sharp, pointy claws. They had five toes, but they resembled their fingers and looked like they were used for climbing. Their bodies were completely void of any hair, and had no distinctive genders despite them being nude. They had no noses, only snake-like nostrils, and their eyes were soulless black. They had spikes growing from their backs and shoulders that were colored sickly green.
"Perfect," Kain said sarcastically as a pitch black sword with a red guard and hilt formed in his hand, "Absolutely fucking perfect."
"Lady Luck doesn't seem to be on our side today," Wolf commented as a pair of silver blades attached to a brace that held them at his sides appeared on his back.
"You can't fight them!" Kera exclaimed, "If they even brush against you, it could put you in a nightmare you might never wake up from!"
"Better us than you, princess," Kain responded, holding his sword lazily in his right hand, "Jacy will be fine if something happens to us, but if something happens to you thenhe's useless."
"I'm not going to let you two kill yourselves to protect me!" she protested indignantly.
"You don't get a choice in the matter," Wolf told her dismissively, "We came here to rescue you. If it costs us our lives to do so, so be it."
"Just get those two out of here," Kain said, "If we're still alive, we'll meet you at the docks. If we're not there by first light, then consider us lost and get back to the Survivors, they should still be in New York City in one of the malls."
"But—" she tried to object but Wolf cut her off.
"Just go!" he yelled, his blades shooting out as he charged towards the horde of monsters with Kain close behind. The monsters ran at them as well and it wasn't long before they had the two completely surrounded.
"Hold her for a moment," Kera said softly, handing Dax over to Nathan.
"Buh, wha—?" he stammered, surprised, as he took the young dragonet and held her awkwardly. He was shocked even more as he watched the green-haired woman in front of him morph into a slim, green dragoness right before his eyes.
"You're a dragon too!" Dax said excitedly, squirming in Nathan's grip to try to get free.
"No way…" Nathan breathed quietly, amazed.
"There'll be time to be awed later," Kera said dismissively, motioning with her head, "Now get on!"
Nathan nodded and hurried over, helping Dax up before climbing up himself. He sat just behind Kera's neck with Dax in the small gap between him and her neck.
"Hold on tight!" she told them before she leaped into the air and took flight. Nathan let out a yell and grabbed onto her neck as she did, effectively sandwiching Dax between them but keeping her from falling off.
Kain saw them leave out of the corner of his eye and a smirk slowly grew on his face before he said, "I think it's time we make our exit as well, wouldn't you say my canine comrade?"
"I thought I told you not to call me that," Wolf grumbled, fending off the claws of several of the grey-skinned monsters with his blades.
"Oh lighten up you big fur ball!" Kain teased as he roundhouse kicked one of the creatures and sent it flying back into several more, "Life only lasts for so long, y'know?"
There was no response and Kain realized that his blade colliding with the monsters' claws was the only sound. He turned around and saw a group of them clustered around something with Wolf nowhere in sight.
Realizing what was happening, he ran over to them as he shouted, "Wolf!"
The spiked beasts turned to look at him just as he dropkicked two of them in the face and back flipped onto his feet. His sword then shifted into a large black shield covered in scratches and knocked the rest of them out of the way until he reached Wolf. One of them had touched him and left a black handprint on his flank as well as put him into a nightmarish sleep. He twitched and shifted in his slumber as he endured the most horrific nightmare he'd ever had. The brace that had held his blades had been ripped off and strewn everywhere.
Kain threw his shield at a group of Forgotten Ones that ventured too close before grabbing Wolf and putting him over his shoulder. He slammed his free hand onto the ground, opening a portal underneath him and falling into it before it winked out. The creatures all roared in unison, frustrated that their meal had escaped.
xXxXxXxXxXx
A dark green dragon slept in a dark forest that no sane being would venture into. His red wing membranes, as well as the rest of his body, were covered in crimson, runic markings that marked him as one who had successfully completed the Vredranx Ritual and would never repent their sins in doing so. The power radiating off him in waves kept the vicious predators from going anywhere near him for fear of being destroyed in very gruesome ways, leaving the dragon to snooze in peace.
His restful sleep was interrupted when a small jolt of electricity struck his muzzle and went through his entire body, causing him to jump to his feet in full awareness. His eyes were crimson with flecks of black. They locked onto a small light just in front him that seemed to come from nowhere and saw it release another jolt that struck the ground and left a tiny scorch mark on the ground.
"What the hell?" he wondered aloud, his eyes narrowing on the insignificant hole.
"Gabriel…" a feminine voice called out of the hole. The voice sounded strangely familiar, but he couldn't place it as he took a cautious step forward.
"Who's asking?" he said nonchalantly, the marks on his body glowing faintly as if trying to intimidate a threat. The portal responded by growing even larger than him and emitting a bright light that forced him to look away. After it faded enough, he turned back to see a cloaked figure standing in front of the portal. Her hood was down, revealing a violet-haired, red-eyed goddess. She was beautiful, but this was marred by the crimson, spiked veil she wore over her shoulders.
She smirked as she replied, "An old flame…"
"Mara…" he whispered in realization, a devious grin forming on his face, "How may I be of service?"
xXxXxXxXxXx
Jacy: …I'm so gonna kill those two.
*Aingeru whispers something in his ear*
Jacy: After Wolf wakes up, that is…
Aingeru: Because he's going to forget, Review and Comment because it's the only reason he writes!