A/N: This chapter actually takes place around 8 hours before the last chapter, with Virigosa. Originally it was meant to be simultaneous, but that didn't really work out.

"Araxion," Kerelion said.

As Araxion woke up, he realized that he was not in his room. He staggered to his feet, shook the sleep from his body, and looked at Kerelion. The black wyrm was standing in the doorway in his human form, and he looked very pleased with himself. Araxion couldn't help but feel that that wasn't a good thing.

"It's good to see you, Kerelion," Araxion gave a hasty bow. "Why have you brought me here?"

"Monsters! The both of you!" The words were in Draconic, and belonged to a female voice.

Araxion spun around and was faced with the sight of a unfamiliar, bizarre-looking dragon. Her body was oddly-shaped and covered in black and white skin instead of scales, and she almost seemed to be flickering in and out of the physical world. While her wings and legs were all chained, she struggled nonetheless against her bindings, like she was trying to throw herself at Araxion and Kerelion. The twilight drake looked back at Kerelion, somewhat confused.

"This is a nether drake," Kerelion said. "You're going to absorb its essence. It-"

"I have a name!" the nether drake spat, her voice becoming more shrill with every word. "It's Iraeku!"

"It, as you can see, has been a bit fussy today," Kerelion said. "I'm sorry I took you here without waking you. I wanted to make sure we did this in a place the cultists are restricted from. They don't need to get any ideas."

Araxion turned and stared at the chained nether drake. Iraeku growled, and even though she couldn't hurt him, Araxion didn't want to take another step towards her. She seemed to notice, and flung herself at her bonds with renewed vigor. Araxion cast a glance back over his shoulder at Kerelion, who was still grinning. He finally gathered the courage to stare Iraeku in the eye and take a step forward.

"If you had anything close to a soul, you would release me and give the merciful death you always deny!" Iraeku sounded like she was mad. "But you won't. None of you ever do! I at least, am the one to stand against you to the end."

"I..." Araxion cast an uncertain glance back towards Kerelion, who looked a bit disgusted.

"Not even going to make it quick, are you?" Iraeku challenged.

"What are you waiting for, Araxion?" Kerelion asked.

"I just..." Araxion hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure how I'm supposed to absorb Netherwing essences."

"Oh," Kerelion relaxed a little. "I'm not entirely sure myself. Twilight dragons all have natural vampiric tendencies, so I've always been under the impression that you just... know how."

"I'm sure I'll figure it out," Araxion said, flexing his talons on the cold stone below.

"We're not on a schedule or anything," Kerelion said. "Take as much time as you need."

"Murderers!" Iraeku began a long stream of accusations. Araxion couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Captivity had clearly taken a toll on her mental state.

He did have some idea of how do this. He took a few more steps forward, and pinned down Iraeku's tail in his talons. A small trickle of her magic was flowing into his body, but he could feel so much more underneath her skin, flowing like a river. And he could have it all. He wanted to make it his, wanted so badly to feel it course underneath his skin and crackle over his hide. Visions flitted through his head of Araxion- no, Ultraxion, Aspect of Twilight, flying towards Wyrmrest Temple, countless twilight dragons in tow. He imagined the tower falling, dragons scattering in his wake. All of it could be his, if he just-

No. He released his grip on her tail and recoiled, horrified. That's not me. He shook his head, unsure of what had come over him, and stared at the drake chained to the wall. She didn't deserve this, either. He wasn't going to do this to himself. He wasn't going to do this to her.

"Coward! You can't even finish the job!" Iraeku taunted.

"No," Araxion turned towards Araxion, his voice shaky. "I... This is what you want me to do?"

"If you want to please the Masters," Kerelion said, clearly caught off guard. The black wyrm quickly caught himself, and snarled at Araxion. "This is what you need to do."

"No. I won't," Araxion said. "It's not worth it. She doesn't deserve this. Nobody does."

Kerelion looked stunned. He stood there blankly for a few moments, then stepped up to Araxion and touched the drake's jaw with a surprisingly gentle hand. "You were a black egg originally..." he murmured.

Araxion, for a moment, thought that Kerelion might not have been angry. Then the black wyrm dropped his hand and marched back to where he had been, fury written across his face. "You're an abomination," he said. "Clever child. You've tricked us all. Your time in this world is very short now, Araxion, and I intend to make it very painful, so enjoy these last easy moments. Tell me, now, how long have you been planning this?"

"You'll tear each other apart!" Iraeku sounded delighted.

Araxion was more confused than he had been. Kerelion raised a hand and a spear of shadow magic formed, hitting a target just behind Araxion. He thought for a moment that Kerelion had tried to hit him and missed, before he heard a gasp from behind him, then coughing. He was killing Iraeku first.

"Look at what's become of your precious nether drake," Kerelion said.

"It's not about her," Araxion growled. "This is wrong. Everything is wrong. This isn't a cause worth fighting for. What exactly are we hoping to gain?"

"You're a fool, just like all the others," Kerelion growled. "Araxion, you had everything. You could've been an Aspect. You've thrown all of that away in a moment. And for what? I want to make sure you know what you could've been. Think of it. Araxion, Aspect of Twilight, the-"

"The price was too high," Araxion hissed.

"The price you're going to face for this is higher than you could ever imagine," Kerelion said. "You have nothing left. Do you hear me? Nothing."

The black wyrm lifted his hand, and a dark gray light emanated from it, flooding around Araxion. Suddenly the world seemed dark, and everything was spinning. It took a great deal of effort just to see where Kerelion was. Araxion dragged his body a few steps forward, feeling weaker than he ever had, courtesy of the black wyrm's foul magic. He gathered all his strength, and leapt on the black wyrm, tackling him out into the hallway.

"Araxion..." Kerelion struggled to say. He was trying to shapeshift into his dragon form, but he wasn't powerful enough to do so with Araxion on top of him.

"I'm taking you with me," Araxion hissed.

In a movement that was a lot more difficult than it should've been, Araxion swiped his talons across Kerelion's neck. The black wyrm's human head separated from his body, and Araxion looked at it numbly, unsure of what exactly he had just done.

Control of his body was slipping, and Araxion wasn't sure how much time he had left. He dragged himself off of the black wyrm's body and further down the hall, desperately searching for a source of light. Darkness clouded his vision, and reluctantly, he surrendered to it. The last thing he heard was the sound of his body as it hit the ground, and then he slipped into a deep blackness.