Chapter 37-Divine Instruction
The first thing Narssia noticed once she regained consciousness was that she was now laying in a cave. She heard the sound of dripping water but couldn't pinpoint its exact direction, instead focusing her attention on the smooth worn-down rock before her forepaws. Coming so close to killing Arxa but ultimately failing fueled her with so much rage it was all she could do to keep her gaze on the rocks and listen to the steady drip of liquid from deeper in the cavern. Her thoughts dwelling on the missed attempt for a swift destruction, she briefly looked up, seeing a mass of pale white scales sitting close to her location. A distant ray of sunshine broke free from behind the dragon, briefly breaking her concentration on the strange creature, but a snort from the new beast brought her focus back to what was before her.
Who are you? She asked with a low growl, forcing herself into a sitting position and wrapping her tail around her left hind leg, trying to shift her thoughts away from her failed attempt to kill Arxa.
You should know well who I am, youngling. The dragon, Narssia could be sure of that much due to its method of conversation, mentally sounded much deeper than its coloration would have suggested. Its deep grating tone echoed long after it had finished speaking, annoying Narssia who hissed out of resentment.
A plume of smoke rose from her nostrils at the statement, once she had gotten over its voice and the odd aftereffect. I do not know you, she hissed, narrowing her eyes to better get a glimpse of the dragon.
With a sigh, the white beast uncurled its long form and turned its head to her, having originally concealed its eyes upon her awakening. Upon seeing the eye color of the scaled creature, Narssia involuntarily let out a startled hiss. The left irises was a glorious topaz while the right one reflected the shadowed magic of Corruption with its lime green coloration. Obviously confused by seeing the distinct trait of her long-dead master, the black dragoness arched her neck and sniffed the newcomer, barely able to detect any sign of a scent from her distance.
You bare the eye colors of . . . someone I knew a long time ago, Narssia remarked as the dragon watched her carefully, its eyes following her every move as she finished trying to identify it and laid back down, grasping onto the rock floor under her as a spasm of pain jetted up from her wings.
As well I should, the mystery dragon snorted, further confusing Narssia as she growled softly in response. Let me explain then. The white scaled creature stood and stretched its wings, its dual colored eyes gazing at her with complete calmness. I am the one you know.
Narssia blinked, too stunned to speak as she let the information sink in. Her rider, her master was alive. But how since he had been ripped apart by Meta before she went and killed the former darkness user herself as payback? She stared at the dragon for a moment longer before somehow finding the words to made sense of her conflicted thoughts on the subject. The possibilities were endless as to why he had come back, but she cared little about the detailed process to restore one who was dead back to being a live creature, instead minding only faintly that he had returned in her time of need.
How? He was, I mean, you were killed years ago. For you to return now is . . .
I can assure you, young Narssia, I am him. The ancestors gave me a second chance to help you out once you ventured to the past with your son. I stayed hidden until Corruption's magic burst into full effect and then went after you, only arriving too late to help you defeat the darkness within the past forme of yourself. Narssia snorted again in confusion, nostrils flaring at the brief mention of Arxa. Call me Windra now, while you know me here. My old name is useless in the presence of the darkness.
Windra . . . Does Corruption's power know you're back? It might come after you and . . .
Windra growled softly, flicking the end of his tail. Nonsense. It wouldn't dare come within three miles of my location, especially with you here.
Narssia blinked, staring at the dragon she had thought for so long was dead. How had he been given a second chance to rejoin those that were living? She growled softly, shaking her head. Nothing of his words had she heard as her attention was focused solely on his long, lanky form as it stood blocking most of the sunlight from entering the cave. His irises, although slightly altered by his transformation, brought back so many memories to her of their brief time together as a dragon and rider pair, yet also reminded her of the cruel way she had twisted his own magic against him and had ultimately used it out of desperation.
Windra, I . . . She caught herself, struggling to control and focus her raging thoughts onto a single subject. I need to know why you're back. You know as well as I do that my exposure to the darkness came as a result of our bond.
The white dragon lowered his head, releasing a plume of smoke into the air. Narssia almost felt sorry for having to be so distant from her former master but knew she had to get that off her chest. It had been because of him that she had even witnessed the terrifying power of Corruption, although she now regretted ever hatching for him. Had she known sooner what he could do, she would have never willingly chosen to be his partner of mind.
I understand your reluctance to speak your mind, Windra growled softly, his eyes lifting and glancing her way.
I never . . . Again she caught herself and studied him, letting her eyes drift over his muscular frame and finally allowing herself to gaze into his eyes completely without any restraint. I just wanted things to be different between us.
Struggling, Narssia forced herself to her feet and walked over to him, licking his cheek. Windra snorted and drew back, confused by her behavior at first. Her wings burned as she stretched them out and lifted them high above them, ignoring the pain yet intrigued as he did the same motion and returned her lick. A confused glance from her was enough to allow the white dragon to take the action a step further and gently pushed her down onto the floor. The black she-dragon narrowed her eyes initially but soon realized his intent and reached up to nuzzle him.
Windra nuzzled her in return and Narssia placed a taloned foreleg on his chest as she pulled back, gazing deep into his eyes. She growled softly, If I want anything to be guilty about for coming back to my past, I might as well feel guilty about this.
She lunged upwards and collided with him, their tails intertwining as a thin membrane of black and white folded around them, connecting the two separate dragons into a joined pair. Resting her snout on his shoulder, Narssia caught a raised scale in her maw and playfully nibbled on it as Windra flickered his left eye to glanced at her, the topaz iris rich with emotion. A strange warmth flooded the black dragoness and she hissed in pleasure, arching her neck and raising her snout to under his jaw. Low humming filled the air between them and she closed her eyes, letting his scent wash over her.
You don't need to feel guilty.
Narssia blinked her eyes open and growled, surprised to find that Windra had let her hear his most private thoughts. She untangled herself from him and stood, glancing back at him with a mix of sorrow and dejectedness. The white dragon got to his feet, watching her as she lowered her head and closed her eyes, letting a stray tear fall to the ground as her wings folded neatly against her body.
Narssia, I . . . He stepped toward her but halted as she shook her head slowly, opening her eyes to reveal how changed she was since they had been rider and dragon. The pools of topaz that had once been so intrigued about the world now reflected back a feeling of dejectedness and solitude.
Don't say anything, I already know. Her eyes brightened some as she made herself look at him, despite regretting all that had ever happened between them.
The white dragon growled softly and hesitantly walked over to her, extending a wing out to cover her frame. I would never willingly endanger your life. He paused halfway to Narssia and folded the appendage back against his side. Yet you despise me for all of this, don't you?
Narssia averted her gaze, struggling to keep her emotions from coming to the surface. She would hurt him if he knew the truth, if he knew how much she regretted pairing with a human that had caused their ancient home to sink beneath the waves out of a lust for power. An elongated hiss escaped her and she briefly glanced up to find that Windra had closed the gap between them and was lingering near her left flank.
I don't deserve this, she hissed, glaring at him. I wanted to kill you years ago. I wanted to make you suffer as you made the original dragons suffer back in paradise.
She expected him to snap back at her, yet he didn't. That's not what your heart tells me.
Why do you do that? Every time I've ever been mad at you, you've twisted my own words around and practically slapped me in the face with them. Her eyes narrowed in anger as she bared her teeth. Stop doing it.
Windra gazed at her calmly. And risk losing you?
No, but . . . Narssia averted her gaze again, relaxing just faintly. Finally she hissed and turned to face him, stepping back to allow some room between them. Stop. Just stop.
The dragon blinked but said nothing, apparently understanding her need for silence so she could focus her thoughts. Narssia stared him down, a low growl rising up from her throat as she trembled in anger. How had she come to being at war with her own former rider when he had done nothing wrong? She forced herself to take a deep breath and flickered her gaze down to the dirt under her for a moment.
Tell me what it is that I've done wrong, Windra commanded as his gaze remained steady on her despite how she had acted toward him. I don't want to fight against you, Narssia.
She snorted, nostrils flaring as she returned her gaze to him. What was she thinking? They had just accepted each other back into their lives, yet she was already trying to drive them apart again. Her fierceness faded as she realized that she needed more from him, she needed a plan in order to return to her time and be successful in stopping the darkness.
I need your help, she confessed with a low growl as he snorted. I want you to teach me all about the darkness, about what it can and can't do. Her gaze steadied. I must be ready to face the deepest shadows if I have any hope of surviving the coming year.
Windra seemed hesitant at first but slowly made his way over to her. She could tell by his gaze that he was uncertain of why she wanted the knowledge, yet it only made her desire stronger to learn all that she could about the shadows which had wrapped themselves so tightly around her. He was the key to getting the information she needed to survive once Jormundur and herself returned to their present time.
I will help, he growled, in any way I can, Narssia, yet something bothers me. You spoke as if you don't think you'll live much longer, why?
A low growl forced its way from within her throat. I feel the darkness even here, tearing at me and at my sanity. I can't stand much more of this torment. If I must, I will have . . .
Narssia, Windra hissed, raising a foreleg in warning. Never consider that option, promise me. It only brings you pain down the road if the attempt fails. But, anyway, I do what I can to help you out. I only want you to narrow down what you wish to be taught, otherwise we'll be talking for days.
Narssia snorted, pleased with his decision to help. Quickly she focused on two specific points she wanted to make sure she had complete knowledge about before going back to face what she had become. First, she wanted control over the rage that had, ultimately, settled deep within her, and second, she needed to master the use of her new darkness if escape would even be an option to her.
Difficult topics, Windra snorted as he lowered his foreleg back to the ground and then led her to the center of his cave, yet I think we can deal with them at the same time.
A low growl rose from within her chest. How?
Mastery over the darkness comes with control over the emotions it deals with, as you have no doubt figured out. Narssia snorted, averting her gaze. Or not. No matter, we will start at once then.
Windra spread his wings and lifted the appendages above his head, attracting the attention of Narssia who growled playfully. A flurry of static electric arcs danced across both her wings and she hissed, glaring at her useless wings with disgust. She immediately froze as she felt his presence enter her mind, its strength ramming into her with enough force to cause her to collapse. Forcing herself to remain standing gave the black dragoness a reason to fight against him and so she did, only to be hit by his tail as he walked past.
Embrace it, the same darkness her past forme had used whispered out to her, its mocking tone increasing her fury.
Control yourself. Windra's warning came as a surprise and startled Narssia, resulting in her losing her concentration and screeching in pain as her limbs burned with agony. Find your center and focus on it.
Narssia hissed at the words but could do little else as her body was rigid with spasms of pain from all over. The strain of fighting Arxa was now taking its toil on her, she realized as more currents of electricity flickered over her wing membranes. Windra circled her, his gaze unwavering and cold. She understood now how he must have felt being used by Corruption's dark magic.
I'm trying my best, she snapped back, snarling as he hit her with his tail again.
Yes, that's it. Give in to your anger, your hate.
Windra growled softly, shortening his circles so that his tail was closer to her then before. Narssia held back a hiss, instead trying to focus herself on a central point, as the dragon had suggested. It was difficult for her to calm herself after all the years of malice and hatred tugging at her soul, but she gradually felt the shadows ease and her mind clear. A low approving growl from her tutor gave her hope and she latched onto it with all her strength, wanting to prove that she could rise above what had chained her for so long.
Good, now search for the darkness within you and let its power run through you, but let your will chain its destructive energy. You control it, it doesn't not control your actions.
Narssia bared her teeth, closing her eyes as she felt Corruption's fury rise up immediately, giving her barely enough time to quickly subdue its raging energy. Her limbs shook as she gathered the dark powers she had gained from Arxa, bracing herself for the devastation she knew would be unleashed once the magic was let loose. She faintly heard Windra snort but she pushed the curious thought from her mind about how she might seem to the dragon before her, a ruined dragoness struggling to command the same might which had taken her over in the first place.
A low hiss from Windra caught her attention and Narssia blinked, barely catching the hint of a snarl on his usually calm features. She wondered why but disregarded her curiosity as a ripple of the darkness slipped from her grip. The angry growl from the white dragon confirmed that something had been struck by her accidental slip-up. Ignoring the feeling that she would only go downhill from that incident, she held tight to the magic, feeling it pull at her body's strength.
Now, shape its power.
Her eyes flickered open as she opened her maw and concentrated all of the power into a funnel, directing the energy to storm outward at her command. Narssia instinctively dug her claws into the ground, temporally choosing to dismiss the sharp sting of pain from her talons in protest, narrowing her gaze onto the wall closest to her that Windra stayed far from as if he knew where she would aim the attack. Warm air filled her lungs as she took a deep breath, then let the darkness surge forth in one powerful blast, the shockwave enough to make her stagger. The cone-shaped energy strike slammed into the wall she had aimed for and, once the dust had settled from the collision, both dragons saw that a good three feet of the wall had been reduced to rubble.
I'm impressed, Windra confessed as he came up beside her, his eyes looking her over. For a first timer, it's well-done. Narssia, are you-
Her sharp, retaliating hiss proved enough to make the discussion end, much to her appreciation. She was exhausted, barely holding herself up as her taloned legs, and her entire body, trembled heavily. Yet she was proud of the attack, despite realizing he would expect her to do it again multiple times until it became as easy as second nature to her. The tip of Windra's tail smacked the floor, pulling Narssia from her thoughts as he gazed at her with equal concern for her health and eagerness to make love once more.
I could care less about whether you think this is training me, she growled venomously, uncaring if she hurt his feelings or not, but I'm going to sleep. Goodnight.