Chapter 19-Broken and Born

As the days passed, Narssia found that she grew stronger and managed to find an unknown strength from within to rise back into the power that she had once held before the Orichalcos had reentered her life. Jormundur visited often, although he said little if Raxmon or herself-of-the-past were near. She knew why, having also the fear that she would slip up and tell them that she was herself seven years in the future.

Eventually she grew strong enough to leave the room she was in and join with the others. Narssia hesitated at such an offer but finally accepted and spent much of her time gazing upon the eggs that would become her sons. They were not the sons of Mirage, no that was a lie. In fact, those eggs were of the union between Rados of the future and herself. She had told such a untruth to her sons due to their curiosity that they held before developing into a reasonable age. Arxa had interfered with her plans to tell them of their true parentage and still they continued to believe her lie, somehow.

Jormundur, Narssia whispered after she had led them both away to speak in private. There is something I must tell you before those eggs hatch.

What is it, mother? The grey dragon inquired as the end of his tail twitched with eagerness. What is there to hide from me now?

Sitedal and yourself are not the sons of Mirage. You are, in fact, the offspring of a future version of a dragon that existed prior to a month ago in our normal time.

You mean the latest kill of Arxa was our- Jormundur was completely stunned, as Narssia though he might be.

Father yes. I've hidden this for so long from you both. I just thought now would be right to tell you before they hatch, Narssia growled softly, trying to be gentle with her eldest son by only seconds.

Jormundur blinked and looked away, looking back to where past-Narssia and Raxmon were. His shock and surprise was clear to his mother as she knew him as well as one could with being chained within her mind for much of his life. He growled softly and Narssia sighed, lowering her head in shame.

I'm sorry, she muttered as he returned his gaze to her.

Don't be. I would have done the same thing had I been in your situation, mother.

Narssia snorted and, unknowingly, attracted the attention of her past self and Raxmon who walked over to see what they were talking about out of curiosity. She glared at herself and Jormundur fluttered his wings in distress, hoping to deter them from coming over. Such an attempt failed and the two younger versions of the dragons they knew as Narssia and Raxmon ventured towards the greyling and his mother.

You never have told me your name, her past self growled and Narssia adverted her gaze. How could she bare to look at herself like this? She was broken in the world from which she came, but this image of her was so naive to the world about it.

Axrais what I am called, she muttered softly, gazing at Jormundur who snorted in confusion over why she would allow who she would become to call her that.

Axra and Akon. Fitting names for such dragons as you both are. Our humble home is open to you, feel free to live here as long as you want, Raxmon offered as Narssia sighed and lowered her head slightly.

She could not allow such an offer to be made. What would become of the hatchlings who were younger-Jormundur and younger-Sitedal? They would be raised upon the knowledge that two similar dragons existed where they stayed. How could that be permitted?

We cannot accept your offer, Raxmon and Narssia. We will find a place of our own to call home-

Nonsense, past-Narssia snorted. You will claim a room here, with us. We do not mind and . . . I feel the strangest connection with you both, like I know you from another time. Perhaps it is nothing but I want you to stay.

Jormundur glanced to her and Narssia silently fretted. The time frame was being messed up because of them. Because he took her back seven years to right after Mirage died and she found Raxmon. Her grey offspring was the cause of her worry, her fears now.

We will stay, Jormundur assured them as Narssia was still deep in thought. I will convince her this is right, for all of us. She will see our reasoning soon enough.

Those words. Panic shot through her as Narssia remembered the last time she had heard that same phrasing used. The Orichalcos had whispered words of encouragement into her, trying to get her to see the logic behind such corruption. Only things took a turn for the worst. The power grew stronger, she lost control, Raxmon died.

Her shrill of terror spilt the air and Jormundur glared at her. The Orichalcos had left her, she was powerless. She had grown so weak during her imprisonment by Arxa. How could her son not see that? The fabric of corruption held so strongly to her frame that, even now, she was bound by its dark web.

'What is with you, mother?' Jormundur asked angrily inside her mind, shielding his thoughts from the other two dragons.

I understand everything now. The-

'Apparently not. I am trying to get us somewhere to stay while I figure out how my power works,' the grey dragon snarled as he glared at her once more, anger lapping strongly in his yellow eyes. 'Save this stunning moment for another time.'

I cannot. I know now why-

'Mother! Do you want them to overhear something they are not supposed to? Guard your thoughts, project them into my head only before your tongue slips and they learn who you really are.'

Narssia sighed and did as asked. Her mental voice shimmered with rage upon her next words. 'You think you are the eldest between us? Is that what I hear from you? Let me set the record straight, Jormundur. I AM your mother, your elder if you prefer, and you obey me.'

The faintest of tone from Arxa slowly interwove with Narssia's voice, echoing out to Jormundur that she was no longer the calm dragoness her past self was. The Orichalcos had infused itself within her, forming a new presence that was a mix of the two conflicting personalities. That was who he saw now when he looked at her. He did not see Narssia or Arxa but the mix of them, the new being formed from their connection with each other.

'Of course, mother. Forgive me for overstepping my boundaries.' He lowered his head and she relaxed slightly, enough to calm her fiery rage only to the point where she would not endanger his life before her past self and Raxmon.

We see there are still issues between you both, Raxmon commented as Narssia focused her attention on him, using the peace to further calm herself.

Times of turmoil have created that, she replied softly, noting the truthfulness to her words for the first time since they had both awoken to the world of the past. It was not our choice for such disagreements to spawn but they grew out of control and made us rage against each other. Our lands from which we come are at war and we have failed to escape the fueled wrath from either side, even here.

'You speak the truth,' Jormundur muttered faintly to her alone. 'Why? They care nothing for us.'

'They do care, son. I am her, was her. I know their thoughts and what is to come. We pose no threat to their balance of life at this stage,' Narssia corrected him, again only within his mind.

You must be lucky to have escaped then, her past-self growled as she blinked and twitched the end of her tail.

Not by the normal sense. We-

An icy surge of power gripped at her throat, making Narssia end her words suddenly and focus her entire being on figuring out what was going on. This had not occurred in the past. Still the power pressed down on her windpipe, further constricting her breathing. Jormundur seemed concerned but she was not sure as her vision began to blur as the oxygen became less and less that entered her system.

Darkness faded to her sight as Narssia felt herself give way to the strength that held itself on her windpipe. She leaned forward and toppled to the dirt floor, surrendering to the world of unconscious for the second time in her new environment . . .

PRESENT

Verdra roared in pain as her body convulsed and strained to free itself of the lives it had carried for three months. Most of her injuries had healed by now but she had nightmares about the event, dreaming every night that Jormundur would return to finish her off. She didn't know he was stuck seven years in the past while she laid what would become her offspring.

Finca stayed by her side, offering encouragement and tending to the eggs that had been laid. Three glistening eggshells lay near her but Verdra strained herself as her frame was racked with violent shutters to lay a fourth egg. Most first-time female dragons laid up to three eggs but for some reason she was laying four.

You are doing fine, my child, Finca whispered as Verdra roared in pain and panted, every muscle in her frame shaking from the effort of laying four eggs back to back.

I-I can't . . . I can't k-keep this up, she growled between bursts of agony that tore into her from the painful event.

You can! Finca snarled in response, showing only a glimmer of the brightness that her teeth held. Think of him. Think of Sitedal! These are your children, together. You owe it to him to not give up!

Verdra knew that her mother was using some of the encouraging words that Tamli had once spoken to his own mate, but little was on her mind other then to rid herself of the pain that accompanied laying eggs. Another burst of pain racked her frame and she roared again, straining with all the strength she had inside.

The final burst of energy she could give was enough to finish removing the egg from within her and Finca immediately tended to it. Verdra allowed herself to breathe peacefully before looking upon the eggs herself. Three of the four where white-shelled but only one had a black shell that had once reflected the one that she had existed in before her hatching.

I am proud of you, Finca hummed as Verdra rested her head against her mother's shoulder. Few dragons of your age could survive being attacked and then laying four eggs three months later. My child, the stars sing with praise over this accomplishment of yours. Do you want your father to see the eggs?

Not yet, Verdra admitted, scared that he might destroy them. A month from now it will not matter if he sees them or not.

You feel unease around him? Finca questioned as her voice hinted at more then just unease towards Tamli.

That, and more. I just feel that there is something wrong about him, something that he refuses to let anyone else see. Maybe it's just my imagination . . .

Maybe not. I once felt that way, when he first turned and was bit by Nira. I truly feared for my life then but I grew to trust him, love him even more as a dragon then I had when he had been my rider, the white dragoness snorted as Verdra sighed and closed her eyes.

Why accept him after all the damage he caused you?

Damage? I don't understand, Finca snorted.

He named one of your hatchlings with him after his mother. Why not find anger with that? Verdra inquired as she enjoyed the bonding with her mother that was the result of her most difficult time since the attack from Jormundur had happened.

Finca sighed. Ah, I understand now. I suppose I was angered by the action but he . . . we were one then, together always and deeper then even soul mates. She snorted in muted amusement. He wanted to have a say in what our offspring were named.

You did not answer my question, mother. Why allow such an act when it was his mother who wanted to rid the likes of Dhran's mother's family from the face of the earth?

In time you will understand, Finca muttered as she licked Verdra's cheek lightly before turning her head to examine the eggs once more. A dragon cannot be a dragon without always seeking further knowledge, that I have learned for myself and so must you.

Verdra growled in puzzlement but dropped the issue, inspecting her eggs for the first time. How could such small round vessels give way to their powerful kind? Light flickered off the eggs and she snarled slowly, pushing her offspring over to Finca as Tamli entered, his blackened scales coated with the slickness of blood.

He commands your presence, daughter of mine. Outside the great tree shall you find him.

Great Tree? Tamli, I do not even know my way around-

Tamli growled softly. Do not delay, child. He has come far in search of you.

He? Verdra questioned as she stood, her mother keeping the eggs as far from Tamli as possible. Sitedal?

The blackened male gave only a nod in response. It was Sitedal, he had come for her. They would finally build a life together, free of this war between Arxa and the dragons of the Compound. Verdra quickly left and Tamli moved toward his mate.

She laid the eggs? His tone was cold, not the tone Finca knew he would have normally held for such an occasion as this.

Our daughter did. Is it really Sitedal who has come? Tamli said nothing, adverting his gaze. Answer me! Tell me the truth.

Tamli slowly turned his eyes to her, a deep longing held back within his irises. He wanted to tell her everything he knew but such was forbidden now. Everything had been laid out before him with this new state of existence. Every truth, every event yet to come. How could he tell such to his mate?

Finally he sighed. It is him, yet there is a change that I sensed. He cares deeply for her now, his heart longs for her as his true mate.