Chapter 44-Returning Night
Narssia found her son as he was crossing the border into what she knew as her former territory. Despite missing a foreleg, he was still steady in the air, to the point where she realized she should have paid better attention to his growth and development instead of passing off the task to Raxmon. His dappled-grey scales soon became one with a dense fog, the way she had taught him and instructed him to do upon setting sights on a target. She regretted never showing him the full might of a wind dragon, having let him discover what he could do by himself.
Jormundur, wait! She hissed, pressing her wings tight to her side as she dropped into a dive, hoping to intersect the greyling so they could talk about his most recent actions.
Finding Windra dead had not been ideal, yet she had already believed it once Arxa had spat that shard of ice at the back of his head. Narssia growled, knowing that if she had left immediately after seeing the body then Jormundur would probably be dead now and she would be stuck in a time she didn't belong to, a time that haunted her about what it once had been before Corruption came along and changed her forever. She wasn't fond of her own plan to chase after him, having feared where he might be headed, but to see it for herself now made it clear to her how deprived her sons had been and just how much distance her grey wind-wielder offspring had put between them.
When Jormundur did answer, it was harsh and bitter, the same as what her tone had been upon her return from hunting on the night Arxa was unleashed into the world. What it is, mother?
Your actions showed me . . . showed me how far we've drifted apart. Narssia unfolded her wings and gave them a gentle flap, revealing her son's eyes from within the dense fog he had called upon to hide in. I never knew how you felt and when I did find out, it was too late. My life was not the only one Corruption's power touched, it also impacted you and Sitedal in ways I failed to understand until you showed me.
The greyling snorted, turning his head away. What does it matter? The old-one's dead and you come begging for forgiveness . . . Why can't you admit this was all your fault?
Narssia blinked, unsure of what he meant. My fault? I don't understand . . .
Of course you don't! Jormundur snarled, returning his gaze to her, his pupils narrowed to slits. All of this was caused by you. If you hadn't been hatched, things wouldn't have gotten the way they are now.
Jormundur, I . . .
No! No amount of pity can reverse the damage you've done, a damage spreading even here. A blast of cold wind collided with Narssia's chest, causing her to back up with alarm.
She growled softly, recognizing the stirring darkness of his soul talking and not the dragon she had raised from when he hatched. If she had not been hatched herself then he wouldn't exist, nor would Sitedal or Ryta. Was that what he meant? That he wanted to be better off dead, confined to a life none of them deserved.
Jormundur . . . listen to me-
Save the excuses, he snorted, whipping up another burst of chilled air and sending it crashing into her. Prove you deserve to live. Show me what you're capable of, mother. Jormundur hissed, spreading his wings wide as he stopped in mid-air and sent a compressed ball of wind at his mother.
Narssia barely dodged the strike, realizing for the first time how skilled he really was with his natural-born element. She had been like that once with her fire, before the darkness came and pressed upon her a desire to gain other elements and use only those needed to add to her ever-growing list of powers she could wield. A low growl rose in her throat and she acted on it, spraying a stream of black-tipped flames toward him, only for her attack to be ripped apart by another wind sphere.
Jormundur, stop this, she growled, spitting out a fireball to keep him distracted so he wouldn't interrupt her. I don't want to hurt you but you have to listen to me. This rage you have towards me is justified, I know that, but you cannot let it control you. If that happens, you're no better off than I was and I refuse to see you become what I used to be.
Jormundur snorted, countering her weak fireball with a gust of wind that threw it harmlessly away from them. Honestly, mother, you're just prolonging the eventual end. All your power is useless if you can't even wield it against your own child.
He had a point, despite how his words sounded to her. The reluctance she had against fighting him proved how different she still was from Arxa, and yet how much the darkness had impacted her because of her struggle to remain who she had once been. Seeing herself so entwined in the persona of Arxa made her come to terms with all she had been through. She wished so much she could reverse the actions that had taken since killing Raxmon, from allowing Corruption free reign to destroying innocent dragons . . . she regretted it all.
What can I say to make things right? I never wanted this for you, yet I must have feared deep inside something like this might happen. Narssia growled softly, knowing deep in her heart just how pained Jormundur was by what had happened since his very hatching.
I told you to show what you can do, he snarled, giving his wings a flap to stay airborne. Strike me down, I don't care.
I won't do that. Arxa might, but I'm not . . .
Narssia growled, breaking off the thought in mid-stride. Could she admit to the very thing that had bothered her since she came to the past, finally freed from the darkness that had poisoned her soul? Arxa would have had no problems in striking him down but could she realize the true nature of where that understanding came from when she would have gladly done it years ago when the shadows were new to her mind and untapped power surged through her veins?
You claim you're not her but I suspect you want to see how it feels, just for once. I saw your power against the younger dark-soul, felt the spike of Corruption swirl to your might and rage. Use that to your advantage, mother.
A low growl rose from her throat seconds before she spat another fireball at him, the blast easily deflected and brushed off by the greyling. Fueled by his words and her own anger, Narssia flew to meet him, twisting her approach into a spin as she switched to electricity, the same skill that had nearly crippled her each time she had wielded it previously. Instead of the excess energy going to her wings, she discovered that it rather flowed around her, forming the basis for a large funnel of power that surrounded her and extended several inches before her, making the perfect frontal assault weapon.
She smashed into Jormundur, letting her anger and misery drive her electrical abilities to deliver stunning bolts of lightning to him while she remained safe from harm due to the excess wind she had created upon flying over to him forming a barrier around her so she wouldn't be hurt by her new discovery. Arxa had been right to come into her and turn her to what she could truly be without restraint or pity for others. It pained her to admit that but she now knew it was the truth. Events she had blamed on the darkness now seemed perfectly capable from her, something not considered until her time travel to the past.
Jormundur snarled, breaking free from her assault to dive towards the ground. Narssia followed, readying another fireball, when he turned and launched several wind sphere right after the other, giving her no time to dodge or else she would miss the perfect opportunity for an attack. She allowed three of the five he had sent at her to hit, but dodged the last two, sending one back at him with her tail. The blast never made it back to its target, instead breaking apart and swirling harmlessly around the grey dragon.
Did you think my own element could harm me? I expected better from the dragoness that threw our home world into panic six years ago and never released control until now.
Narssia hissed in fury, despite her efforts to try and remain calm, and let loose a frozen spray that made ice crystals form around her maw, the strike easy enough for her son to avoid. He spat another ball of compressed wind at her only for the attack to be thrown back at him, a mocking growl rising from within her throat. They were somewhat evenly matched, a pair of dragons each skilled in nearly the same talents, despite the abundance of elements that Narssia had access to at any given moment. She dropped from the sky, coming to a graceful halt right before him as Jormundur snarled softly out of confusion.
I have no intention of harming you further, Narssia admitted as she resisted the urge to reach out and nuzzle him or lick his cheek, but let me explain something before you start blaming me for everything again. I told you who your father was, after years of deceit, yet I failed to mention the one skill he possessed that you gained, a skill you discovered on your own. When I killed him, I also acquired the ability to move through time, linking me to you and Sitedal, but I kept quiet about the power, doing everything to make sure Arxa didn't let either of you know she had obtained it from him.
Jormundur growled, twitching his tail as he gave his wings a hard flap to keep airborne. Why bring this up? You used to take all the abilities of the dragons you killed so why is his the one you think I don't understand? I have this gift, remember? I used it to bring us here . . .
Indeed you did, she snorted, diverting her gaze. I'm bringing it up because . . . because I'm taking us back. We don't belong here, our presence has already caused changes in the time frame, changes we never knew existed. I can't stand seeing that so I'm making it that we won't have to anymore.
The greyling snarled, floating back half-an-inch. No, he snarled, narrowing his eyes as anger distorted his once gentle gaze. You can't! Jormundur paused, his tone darker than Narssia had ever heard it before. I won't let you.
He flew at her, clamping a taloned forepaw around her neck as he screeched in anger. Narssia knew he probably won't take kindly to the plan but she hadn't expected this reaction from him, so much so it caught her off guard and allowed him to claw at her wings and underbelly with his free limbs. Getting her wits about her, she released a small jolt of electricity at his taloned leg that was locked around her throat, nearly cutting off the air supply to her brain. She coughed, blinking back fresh tears right as one of his claws happened to puncture her right wing, the resulting pain making her screech and kick him away from her, the blow knocking him back several inches.
She coughed again, feeling the metallic taste of blood in the back of her throat, and calmed herself, reaching for the one power she had never actually used since she had taken it. Jormundur collided with her moments later, but he was too late to stop her from beginning the time travel as several rings of pulsing white light swirled first around her then around both of them, her will directing them back to their natural time.
Darkness. Corruption.
Narssia opened her eyes, expecting to see something familiar around her but remembering her current situation and dreading the looming conversation with Arxa that would no doubt come quickly given the length of time she had been away. She briefly saw that Jormundur had also come back into awareness and his low hiss signaled to her that things would never be the same between them again. Her own admittance of weakness had proved that, however much she might have now wanted to take it back.
Welcome back, finally, Arxa hissed, the familiar tendrils of Corruption seeping back into Narssia's mind and slowly returning her to little more than an observer in her own body.
I didn't miss much, she growled, sensing the hurried arrival of one of the clones from underneath her cavern. Jormundur is so different from how I wanted him to be . . .
Ah yes, I heard that from him seconds ago. It seems he can kill another dragon . . . and a powerful one at that. Wonder why he didn't slaughter Finca and Verdra like that, don't you?
Before Narssia could respond, one of the clones entered their chamber from a narrow side tunnel, his hair disheveled and it sounding to her like he was out of breath. She restrained a snort as he kneeled before Arxa, her attention briefly turning to Jormundur who lingered by one of the walls, hiding his missing forelimb from her view.
Why have you come? Arxa asked, the darker tone of the Corruption-formed spirit sending a chill up Narssia's spine as she tried not to dwell on the last time she had heard her darker mind-partner utter words so venomously.
The man lifted his head, the ropy scar along his jaw informing Narssia of who he was, and paused to take another breath before whispering something softly. She admired his bravery to keep his words hidden from the dark soul, pleased that she was not the only one sheltering secrets. Arxa growled, grabbing his arm with a clawed forepaw as she jerked him closer to hear what he had said before he repeated himself, louder this time.
"Nethial escaped, my queen. Tanui and his hatchling took her with them, fleeing from us before we could recapture her. They killed twenty of my best men, nearly killed me the rogue did, before his dragon stopped him."
Arxa snarled, releasing her grip on him as Narssia flinched, seeing the deep red marks on his arm gleam with a faint trace of shadows before the wound healed. They fled? Find them, but do not kill them. She turned her back on Gregal, tossing her head high into the air. Leave that pleasure for me.
Gregal stammered, trying to reply as Arxa walked away, briefly pausing to glance at Jormundur and nod to signal him to come with her. The greyling snarled once at the kneeling clone then followed after her. Narssia slowly withdrew herself to the isolation she had once been forced into for so long, trying to keep Corruption's power from knowing she now had a weapon to use if she needed to in order to break free.
She only hoped she wouldn't need to use her new control over the darkness to fight. If that happened, there would be no escape for her. Corruption would crush her mind and destroy all she had left. It was a promise she knew the evil spirit would keep until it was purged from her mind and soul.