Chapter 31-Reclaiming the Past

Fury pounded in her mind as Finca left the dark underground and threw herself into the air, finding comfort in the ever-changing winds. She was glad Tamli had mentioned Dragonsbane for now she had a place to seek the clone she had to guess, she'd assume the copy knew something about the current state her beloved was in.

Adjusting her speed, the dragoness settled in to a comfortable vapor trail. The breeze whispered of a coming storm and she hoped it wouldn't come soon, else she'd risk being caught up in it. It wasn't pleasant to know lightning could strike at any time while flying, yet that risk was present each time a creature-of-the-air entered its lofty heights.

Finca snorted, watching as smoke trailed from her nostrils. Tamli was everything to her. She had lost him once, although for six years, but now she would do anything to keep him near her for as long as her life may be. If only he hadn't fought with Amia and the stubborn grief-enhanced former rider stabbed him in the back of the head . . .

She shook her head. There was no need to think such cruel thoughts. According to her love, Amia was dead anyway because of Dragonsbane. For all she loathed the copy of Tamli, it was one bright spark out of a thousand dark-moon nights that he end the tormentor of her existence.

As the ruined lab came into view, a tremor ran down her spine. Memories of her last time at the location assaulted her and Finca wondered if she would ever get past them. It was like a never ending nightmare of being held against her will and watching Tamli succumb to the disease that ended his life, dreams of which filled her sleeping hours with too much horror for her to actually get any was still surprised she hadn't dropped from exhaustion yet, despite the circumstances that afflicted her mate.

Putting the thought from her mind for the time being, Finca flared her wings and dropped into a shallow dive, readying herself for whatever she might encounter in the ruins of a lab she thought was destroyed. She felt her element stir to life within her, providing her courage and causing a thin layer of grey smoke to wrap around her frame. It felt . . . normal for her to be protected by her own magic, a feeling she hadn't truly remembered ever having since the days of her long journey without Tamli by her deserted lab slowly appeared larger as she turned and folded her wings by her side, dropping to the ground, feet away from the miserable place.

Rage came to the forefront of her mind as she viewed the disintegratingbricks on the outside of the building and she barely held back a snarl of anger from coming out. Yes, she was furious with having to return here, but she couldn't let that anger get the better of her during the venture was for Tamli that she had come, not for any remaining burning flames of rage that invaded her mind and sought to give her another motive for returning.

Grass that should have been dead was trampled under her claws as she moved toward the location of her nightly horrors, trying to focus solely on the task before her. Making her thoughts fixate on one topic was nearly impossible. Worry over Tamli assaulted her, driving her to a halt. Was he any better? Had the medicine done anything for his body? He was on the verge of death and here she was about to confront his clone for information! What type of mate and lover was she to leave him at the whim of Makiar?

She heard the shadows whisper of the shuffling clones, how they seemed terrified at the prospect of fighting. Where was Dragonsbane going to get this courage from then to fight against the forces of Corruption and against Arxa? It seemed too much of a coincidence that the lead copy had said they would fight against the darkness when the time came. When would that time come since Tamli was currently unable to help with having no memory of his former life?

The thick mental that had been the door had already been pushed open, thanks to her mate and Amia on their earlier visit. Finca snorted as she stepped over the threshold, marveling at the exactness of the replica that her eyes beheld. Everything looked as it should if the lab hadn't burnt to the ground because of the future form of her son Rados.

I know you're here, she snarled softly, projecting her thoughts to all the clones she could locate immediately. Your energy burns like a living lanturn to my consciousness, a symbol of the former human you are duplicated from.

"Former human?" The question drew out three of the copies from the shadows and Finca stepped back in terror.

Their skin, once as pale white as paper, had turned a dull grey. Blood vessels, at least those she could immediately see, were nonexistent and all facial skin had drooped, giving their faces a grotesqueappearance. Pupils were all that remained of their eyes, although occasional flashes of red could be seen. What little clothes they had were in rags, barely holding to their deteriorating frames as every part of them seemed stretched beyond normal limits and sagging skin held the fragile beings together. A chill of horror ran down her spine and Finca bared her teeth in an attempt to scare them off.

"You expected us to look like him?" One clone taunted, raising a trembling hand to gesture toward her.

"He caused this. Our condition is all his fault," another murmured, turning its head to better stare at her with half-hidden eyes as loose skin wrestled with the sudden movement.

Finca cringed, realizing she would have to kill them. The sight of each unnerved her but they weren't Tamli. Well they had originally been built like him but now these things lacked the true form of what they had been created in the image of.

Shadows leapt from her tongue as she opened her maw, sealing her mind off from their horrid screams. At least the cries of pain had not changed, even though the sound caused her heart to flutter nervously. Blood oozed from the corpuses as she skirted them, taking special care not to take a look at their dead bodies. Dragonsbane was her target. Anything that got in her way would meet the same end that had dispelled the three abnormal copies.

Moving through deserted hallways, Finca felt a change in the area around her. What was concealed in darkness originally was now gleaming under the sun's rays. She lifted her head, intending to find only a shadowed ceiling above her, only to discover that there was now open space above her. A low snarl rose from deep in her chest as she realized the clones must be providing the illusion that the lab was still standing when, in fact, it had burned to rubble during her escape.

Twice more she was ambushed by the dysfunctional look-a-likes. They tried to remain in the shadows, but their wild striking efforts at attacking revealed their forms to the sunlight. Harsh screams filled her mind each time one burned under the intense light and heat, despite the painless method of demise they had chosen for themselves. The first wave had three as well but the second contained only two and with each attacking surge of enemies defeated, more and more of the illusion fell away. Soon she was walking on grounded bits of rock and fragile metal that had not burned under the force of the flames which had destroyed the original lab.

Eight copies were dead now, only two remained hidden from her powerful might. One of those was the means behind her reason for even daring to step foot into the terrible location once more. The other was simply smart or in better form than its allies. Finca wondered if she would be able to attack both at once, considering they had to be less crippled than the ones who had tried to hold her back upon entry.

With little to use as a placeholder of where she was, the white dragoness spread her wings and took to the open sky, seeking out a small hole that could be used to hide two copies of her love. Finally she located the only tiny crack in the ground that held her attention for any length of time, its place being right next to where the stone slab had once been while the illusion had held that Tamli had used as a shield against Amia. Dragonsbane had been correct when he told her mate that the grief-driven former-rider wanted to kill him where the first clone had begun its life.

She landed and blasted open the tiny surface with a gust of Shadowfire, revealing a stairwell that descended downward under the ground. Curiosity overtook her kind's need to protect themselves and she entered the long tunnel, sending out blasts of her element to make sure she was headed the right way since it got darker as she went farther down. Finca occasionally sent out probing thoughts, hoping to locate the two missing clones so she could be done with the ruins of a place that had scarred her for the rest of her life.

Finally one such mental suggestion was answered. The reply was short but its single word sent chills down her spine. Finca?

The voice, it couldn't be! Her entire frame quivered in fear as the only person alive who could sound like that had recently plagued her waking thoughts, despite the situation with Tamli. If she was correct, then either Dragonsbane or Amia had found Nethial's son . . .

Dhran stirred softly, remembering Sitedal's Fear Shriek hit him face on. He shouldn't be alive, not after what had plagued him since. While his faintest memories of his mother were always present in the back of his mind, he had never truly found solace in her death. He blamed himself for it, since she had destroyed the only thing keeping her alive after she had given his name to him. In his fears, Tronay haunted him and battered him about his birth setting off the chain of events that led to her breaking Uria's eldunari and dying from the resulting pulse of life ebbing away.

Slowly he opened his eyes, blinking back a sea of red as Makiar lowered her snout to rest on his chest. She had apparently realized enough to get him medical attention, it was a start to bringing her around since her aloofness concerned him. His eyes found her own and a low growl rose from within her, signaling she wasn't in a pleasant mood.

Airu, she hissed, the sound course and rough.You wake up just when I get Tamli straightened out. Do you know how bad that timing is?

It sounds just fine to me, he replied, moving his right hand slightly just to make sure he had control over his muscles.

Makiar snarled, whipping her tail into something as Dhran heard the sound of glass breaking. He couldn't blame her for her anger but it was threatening to become uncontrollable, something that plagued her every few years.A soft mummer from Tamli broke their enfolding silence and the only word he could make out startled Airu.

" . . . Nethial . . ."

Finca gripped the ground under her with her claws, fearing she might lose control of her emotions. The one she had sworn to Tamli she would protect was now being held by Dragonsbane. She stifled a snort and willed herself to make contact with the only human she was terrified of ever speaking with.

Why seeks me out?

You requested it from the sound of your probing inquires, he answered, the reply nearly crippling her. Every word had sounded as if it had come from Tamli, the two voices were that similar.

I only meant it as a way to communicate with the others that are down here . . .

The two men? They fight constantly over someone they call Tamli, I think. Something about killing the original and, through that, ending the copying process . . . I don't fully understand it all.

She repressed a shutter. They wanted to kill Tamli, was that what she had heard? It was his genetic material that had created them, certainly they understood that much. The distant sound of metal being hammered reached her sensitive hearing and the dragoness perked up, eager for what awaited her.

Where are you? I can free you from this dismal place, if you'd like.

He was silent for a moment. Fine, he muttered, although she could detect a strain of anger deep in his thoughts. Go down a few feet and you"ll come to a large stone alcove. Enter that and I'm hanging on the place where the rock overlaps to make a shelter for those that require it.

Finca snorted, reminding herself that it had been some time since she had last seen an alcove with her own eyes. She remembered somewhat its shape but she had to trust him on this. Tamli would be pleased to finally meet his son and, perhaps, it might trigger his memory.

Your name, youngling? I knew it from long ago but remind me, if you would.

Raoul Asburo, son of Nethial Asburo, he answered proudly, the reply dizzying her.

To think that she had found the son of her mate was impossible. How had Raoul survived the years since his birth to still be living and to be right where she was in the exact moment? The entire idea seemed like a setup but she wouldn't jump to any conclusions quite yet. She had to find him first, then escape without causing any further damage to the already fire-destroyed place.

With her goal set in mind, Finca made haste to go to where Raoul was. His directions proved correct, he was where he had told her she would find him, in the alcove, and hanging by his wrists. His body frame was so similar to Tamli that she almost left upon entering, the connection to her love unbearable to break from. Raoul's violeteyes gazed carefully at her as she observed the chains which held him equal to her head's height. Whoever had done this was skilled with using the ways of metal, of that she was certain.

Glancing him over, and finding that he was a welcome distraction from the heavy linked irons that constricted his movement, she was surprised to find that, other than his body frame and eye color, everything else bore the look of his mother. The high cheekbones, although shallow from perhaps months of malnutrition, were still was a prominentfeature on his face and his legs looked strong, with evidence of muscles poking out from under the skin. He had on a torn white tunic and black pants that had been ripped off at the knees. His black hair hung in dirty strands and bruises covered most of his exposed skin, some in the process of healing, and the area around his wrists gleamed with the faint copper color of dried blood. She wondered how many times he had tried to escape before he had learned to stay put.

From outside of the alcove, Finca caught the sound of a sword unsheathing and she turned to strike, only hesitating once she saw him. It wasn't Dragonsbane but instead the ninth clone and it had not begun to even deteriorate as had the dysfunctional ones she had fought upon entrance into the ruins. She was staring at an exact copy of Tamli, all complete except for the lack of a white aura around him, the specialty of her mate. How he was an aura welder she knew not. Perhaps his odd creation had caused the spark of energy to remain in him, gifting him with the ability to use and sense its might?

"You are easy prey," the copy hissed, advancing toward her as it lifted its weapon in preparation to strike.

But you're predictable, she snapped back before letting a burst of her Shadowfire ignite him, causing the heartbreaking screaming to start once more until the clone dissolved into a pile of smoky ashes.

"Impressive," Raoul commented as Finca returned her focus to him, shifting her attention to working on the chains. "Mother told me stories of your strength but never did I imagine I would get to see that power for myself."

Be lucky you're not on my bad side, Finca hissed in warning for him to stop talking as she lifted her snout and breathed out another stream of her element.

The binding creaked and groaned in protest before cracking and breaking apart, releasing Raoul from their hold. He landed on his feet and rubbed his wrists, trying to get blood flowing back into them. Finca caught the hint of a grin from the one she had just saved as she flickered her gaze over the alcove's entrance, wary of another attack. There was only Dragonsbane left, and he probably couldn't stand up to her might without resorting to trickery.

"How are we going to escape?" Raoul asked as her eyes swept over the entrance to the alcove, trying to figure out what direction she wanted to take for leaving. Part of her wanted to stay and kill the remaining copy but seeing his son might bring some parts of his memory back to her beloved mate.

Get on my back, she commanded, sliding her tail around so he could use it to help maneuver himself up onto her scaled hide. We're leaving.

Summoning her strength, she roared and lunged upwards, reaching for her native element deep in her mind as she did so. Shadows leapt to attention around her and she held back a snort as Raoul squirmed nervously, clutching at her back with all the strength he had. He wasn't aware of her intention otherwise he would have know to be still and let her ancient ways get them out without further incident. Finca felt herself pass through the rock above her and through many more layers before the cracked ground gave way to silent cold stars and she released the pent-up breath she had held during their risky escape. She forbid herself to recall the last night she had done such a thing, considering it had been to bring Tamli back home to their cave before his death.

What was that? Raoul shrieked, causing a faint snort from Finca in amusement.You're trying to kill us, aren't you?

Relax, Raoul. I would never willingly endanger your life, after the promise I made to your mother before your birth.

She dove into a shallow dive, seeking another air stream that would help raise her higher into the air. What promise? Raoul asked after a moment.

I told her to hide the truth of your father's identity from you until the time was right. His actions were for your own good, as well as for mine and and your mother's. Now, the point has come that I must break the promise we swore to each others hours before you arrived in the dark world that would serve as your home for seventeen years . . .

You know? His curiosity over the subject inspired Finca to continue, realizing he would be better prepared to meet Tamli after hearing this. Mother never mentioned anything about my father and I quickly learned to not bring the subject up around her, but . . . you know the truth?

Finca flapped her wings, passing over a small creek as several deer bounded away, running for their lives from what they knew was a threat. She flicked her tail and drew a deep breath. This wouldn't be easy to explain to him, certainly not with the new complications that awaited them upon their return to the Compound.

I know, young one. Your father is . . . struggling right now with his identity. Something happened and . . . well, I escaped with you because I think you might be able to help us with him.

Raoul huffed, That doesn't help with knowing who he is.

True, forgive me. A plume of smoke rose from her nostrils. The truth behind your parentage is that your father is Tamli Dragonsbane, the rider-turned-dragon who leads the rebellion against Arxa and the magic of Corruption.

Raoul was silent for several minutes following the revelation of who his father was. Finca suspected he was taking it in by tiny amounts, it was how she would have approached the delicate knowledge without having it swarm through her. Either way, it was pleasant to get the details off her chest. He had needed to know for some time, ever since the destruction of his home and the fall of the mighty Guardians following the ascension of Dartz to the Atlantean throne.

He's the one then.

The words stunned her momentarily. What had he said? Had Tamli tried to make contact with him? Certainly not, her mate was in pretty bad shape since the encounter with Amia following the loss of his memory.

What was that Raoul? I don't understand. He tried to contact you?

No, he answered. The one those two in the tunnels talked about. I saw how you tensed up when the one came to check on me, how it seemed like you were seeing a ghost. I assumed from there that my father was the one they spoke of, the one who . . . you nearly lost hours ago.

Finca snarled, whirling her head around. Tell me all you know! No ordinary boy whose mother promised me she would hide the truth from him would know such things. Where did you get your information? Answer me!

I was in contact with the lead copy moments before you sent out those probing thoughts. He told me of what happened and explained much of the war going on outside the walls of my tortured life. He paused for a second. I never realized this would anger you as much as it does.

Realization came slowly for Finca. Raoul had been told by Dragonsbane about the war raging on and then left for her to find. It had been a setup, not the kind she expected but one nonetheless. Makiar would have already killed the child for this, yet something held her back from unleashing her anger on him. If he could help Tamli regain who he had been then the boy could live and she would forgive this little incident.