Chapter 28-A Guardian Falls

{Mirage -narrator}

The next morning I awaken to find that Tamli is down by the stream. His sword in hand, Tamli slashes and twists as if thousands of enemies surround him. Finally he halts and slides his sword back into its sheath and turns to face me.

"I know where Finca is," Tamli says as I halt before him.

You do? I ask.

"Yes. In the remains of paradise."

Meanwhile, Finca awakens after a good rest to find Makiar hovering above her.

You're awake, Makiar comments as her gaze turns toward the room's exit.

Yes and I thought that you were supposed to be asleep.

Same here Finca, Makiar snorts. Besides I don't need as much rest as you do anyway.

Suddenly the door opens and the Leviathan slithers in, carrying a book of somekind in his jaws. He lays the book down and then nod to Makiar, who by this time has landed on the floor, to begin the spell.

'Shadows to Fire and back again, this powerful magic that binds us within, let this magic break the bonds . . . '

The Leviathan doesn't get to finish the spell because Finca suddenly collapses onto the floor. He snarls and then calls for Ziggurat to take Makiar and Finca to the dungeon and leave them there.

{Finca-narrator}

When I awake I find myself in sometype of cage. I look around for someone, anyone who could help me. Suddenly I see the faint outline of Makiar's red aura.

You have no clue as to what will happen to use now, right? Makiar asks.

No, I reply.

Well then I suppose I should get you out of here, Makiar says as she walks toward me.

What? What about yourself? I ask.

I don't care, Makiar replies as she creates a portal. Now go before they catch you!

With that Makiar shoves me into the portal.

I fall to the ground and open my eyes.

Where am I? I think as I look around.

Welcome Finca, a familiar male, black dragon's voice echoes through my head.

Cryill? I ask as I get to my feet.

Correct, the male replies as his green eyes lock with my yellow ones.

I shutter for a moment as Makiar touches my mind with her aura and shows me what she's seeing. The Leviathan is mad, I guess so, about my escape and as such he's punishing Makiar for it.

What's wrong? Cryill asks.

Nothing, I reply as I open my white wings slightly, a sign that I might fly off at any moment.

I suppose that I should go and try to find Tamli and Mirage then, since you're here, Cryill says before he flies off.

{Finca -narrator}

I walk to the Guardian chamber and enter to find myself face-to-face with a new dragon that I've never seen before! The dragon snarls as I gaze at it. The small head and thick hind legs tell me that it's a female. Her blue eyes gleam as we circle each other.

You are? I ask.

She ignores my question and snarls at me.

Not very talkative it seems, I think as we continue to circle each other.

She growls once more at me before launching forward. She slams into me and topples me to the floor. I struggle to get her weight off me but to no use. She snaps at me and racks her claws across my underbelly. I shriek in pain and attempt to get my back legs under her so that I can flip her over my head.

I succeed and she falls to the floor several feet away from me. I stagger to my feet and walk over to her.

Tell me your name! I growl as she gets to her feet.

She roars and lunges at me again. We crash to the ground and her claws reach for my neck. She snarls and prepares to deliver the final blow to me. I close my eyes and shudder as I imagine my life drawing to a close before my very own eyes.

This is the end, I think as I wait for her to finish me off.

She stops and lowers her claws. I open my eyes with curiosity as I wonder why she stopped. A roar cracks the silence around us as Mirage suddenly leaps toward the female that stands on top of me. He slams into her, tearing her away from me as I rise to my feet. I back up to give them some room.

Mirage roars and runs toward the female. She, in turn, snarls and leaps toward him. The two dragons crash into each other. The female growls and slashes Mirage's shoulder with her claws. Mirage roars in pain and rams into her chest with his head.

The two halt for a second.

Welcome back Mirage, the female snarls as she stares at the white dragon.

Good to see you as well Eclase, Mirage growls as he looks at the icy blue dragon.

Eclase? So that's her name! I think as I watch the two dragons.

Eclase snarls and drags her claws across Mirage's chest before opening her jaws and scorching Mirage with fire. The white dragon can't dodge quick enough because of his paralysis on his left side. Mirage screams as the fire sears his white scales to ashes. Eclase growls and slams her tail into Mirage's chest, toppling the white dragon onto the floor.

Your end has come Mirage, she snarls.

Mirage tries to get back on his feet but he's just too weak. Eclase snarls and blasts Mirage with another stream of fire. The white dragon screams then becomes silent. I stare in shock. Mirage couldn't be . . . Eclase snorts and walks off, going deeper into the Guardian chamber.

Mirage? I ask as I approach the motionless dragon.

I get no response from the white dragon. I walk over to Mirage and lay down by his side, tears forming in my eyes.

Why did he . . . ? Why did this happen? I think as tears run down my face.

I bellow in sadness and curl up beside my father's motionless form. Soon dusk falls upon the chamber and I end up crying myself to sleep as I lay by my father's side, knowing that I killed him.

I'm awakened by the sound of footsteps. I open my eyes and look toward the darkened entrance of the chamber to see a familiar human approach me.

Finca what happened? Tamli asks as he reaches my side.

Mirage is . . . I stammer as the tears flow more freely down my face.

Is what? Tamli asks as he strokes my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

Mirage is dead and it's my fault, I say as I turn away from my master's gaze.

Tamli stares at me in shock.

What do you mean? He asks.

I killed my own father! I scream at Tamli as I rise to my feet.

Finca, you . . . you couldn't have, Tamli says as he backs up.

I did master, I stutter as my limbs quiver for a second.

My feet give way and I crash to the floor.

Finca! Tamli shouts as he runs to my side.

Stay away from me Tamli! I snarl as I gaze into my master's calm, purple eyes.

But Finca . . . Tamli pleads as he stares into my fear-stricken yellow eyes.

I don't deserve to live not after what I've done, I moan as I close my eyes.

Finca I can help you. We can help each other. Please don't blame this on yourself! Tamli says as he reaches out to touch my head.

I can't Tamli, Mirage's death was caused by me and only me, I stammer as I open my eyes again and draw closer to my father's side.

I'm going to get Silver so stay here until I return, Tamli says as he walks out of the chamber.

I stutter and close my eyes once more, hoping to escape this nightmare but I only see the events of the past few hours replaying in my head. I roar as I open my eyes, get to my feet once more, and tear at the floorboards of the Guardian chamber with my claws, ripping them apart like toothpicks. The misty haze of the chamber suddenly darkens. I stop and begin to snarl.

Hello young Finca, a voice echoes through my head.

The way it sounds, it sounds like that of an adult male dragon.

What do you want? I snarl as I gaze into the dark mist that surrounds me.

Oh nothing much except maybe you!

I growl and back up.

What is it that you want with me? I ask, my voice shaky from the past events of the night.

A favor really. You see I'm the son of a dragon you already know very well.

Who is that dragon? I ask.

You know him as a serpent, while I know him as a dragon. His name is the Great Leviathan or Kesar as they used to call him.

You're telling me this because?

I am the son of the Great Leviathan and heir to the power of the Seal, the mist replies.

Your name? I ask.

I go by many names but you may call me Shadow, the mist answers as it rises up to form a large, black, male dragon with yellow eyes.

Your eyes! I stammer as I gaze into Shadow's yellow eyes.

Yes my eyes are a gift from my father who left me and my mother shortly after my birth. He deemed me unworthy of following in his footprints and as such I was leave alone with my mother who sent me to the Atlantean Guardian Dragons for protection and training. I was one of the first dragons to get sent to the Dominion of the Beasts before the Battle of Atlantis ever took place. And so I lived my live here in exile until I heard rumors about a powerful dragon that commanded the Shadow element.

So that's how you found your way to me, I snort.

Yes and as I just saw you have an interesting live ahead of you for what you just did in killing your own father, Shadow says.

That is none of your business! I roar as Shadow begins to disappear.

Perhaps not but one day you will have to come to terms with your past Finca, Shadow says as he vanishes and the mist fades away.

I lower my head and begin to sob once more, my thoughts on what Shadow said about me having to one day face up to my past and the fact that I killed my own father . . .

I raise my head once more as I hear the approaching sounds of someone coming. I growl and lay down beside my father's body. A large silver, female dragon enters the chamber. The female walks over to me, her blue eyes slightly misty. I soften my growl to a low whimper as the silver dragon licks my forehead with her pink tongue.

I . . . I . . . I stammer as Silver comforts me as best she can.

You have no need to say anything my child. This day has changed your life, and mine, forever, Silver mummers as she continues to lick my forehead.

I lower my head and sob against my mother's pale white shoulders as she gazes out past the chamber and into her own thoughts. When I awaken the next morning I find that she is already up. I wearily get to my feet and crawl to her side.

A new day dawns, but for us one day means a lifetime of suffering and pain, Silver comments as she watches the sunrise from the chamber's entrance.

We can't tell the others, I stammer as I lay down my her side, tears flowing down my face once more.

We must my child. As hard as it is for you to bare, imagine my pain Finca as I hide the fact that my own daughter killed my mate. Besides the others will find out sooner or later even if we don't tell them, Silver says as she looks down at me.

But . . . I stutter.

But nothing Finca! We must tell the other Guardians before they find out from other sources that twist the tale even further than how it is now, Silver growls.

I know but I can't . . . I can't do it!

Why not? Silver asks.

The pain of having to almost relive the event makes it impossible for me to tell the story to even you let alone others, I moan as the events replay in my head.

I bellow in pain and lift my front legs off the ground as I get to my feet.

I can't do it! The pain is too much to bare, I sob as I sink to the floor in agony as my mind replays my father's death over and over again.

Silver licks my face gently with her tongue, hoping to ease my pain somehow.

I can't take away the pain that you feel Finca but I can share it as you explain to me his death, Silver says as she gazes into my pain-stricken yellow eyes.

I shutter as I tell my mother the story of Mirage's death. As I end with how Eclase walks off, she lays down on the floor next to me.

From what you said it seems like Eclase killed him, my mother says.

She didn't, I did, I mutter as I press my head against the wooden floor of the Guardian chamber.

My mother gazes at me, her blue eyes moist and tear-filled.

We must tell the other Guardians! Silver growls as she gets to her feet.

You might but I won't! I snarl as I jump to my feet and walk out of the chamber . . .