Chapter 45-Dragon's Insanity

Tanui sighed, collecting his hands together on the back of his neck as Ladetis soared over a river that marked the border of the mainland. Two weeks ago he could never have imagined that his partner-of-mind would have the strength to fly to an island off the coast of the mainland, a journey they were nearly done with now. Even Nethial had been surprised by how quickly Ladetis took to the flying, something that pleased the dragonet to hear praise from the one he had disliked from the start. So far there had been no incidents of madness from the hatchling . . . now Nethial was different. It seemed several times a day she would go silent and then start twitching and muttering softly to herself, these episodes sometimes when on for hours and would only get worse if he tried to bring her out of it with a touch.

Master? Ladetis asked, drawing Tanui from his thoughts as he felt Nethial quiver slightly behind him, her grip becoming more painful on his chest. Can we land somewhere soon? My wings are tired and I'm starting to see things that aren't normal . . .

Although Tanui was concerned about his dragon's mental state at times, he knew it was probably best to heed the hatchling's advise on stopping for the night. He was hungry and he figured it was about time to try and get Nethial to eat something again. Sure, land where you see room.

The hatchling landed in a small clearing in the midst of a dense forest, the entire area around them concealed by age-old bark and trees seemingly tall enough to meet the sky. Dead bits of broken limbs littered the ground as Ladetis flared his wings and dropped to the ground, sliding forward as he fought to keep balance between the air and the earth. A scattering of pine needles hit Tanui in the face but he brushed most away after an initial growl of pain.

Could you find someplace better to land than this? He grumbled as he jumped off, helping Nethial down a moment later.

I did as well as I could, Ladetis remarked, glancing back at him with a single yellow eye. When things start vanishing after mere seconds of seeing them and then reappearing, you would agree I took the best course of action. He trembled slightly, worrying Tanui who placed a hand on his shoulder. I'm fine.

Tanui sighed, removing his hand as he took another glance around the potential campsite. Sleep well. Tomorrow we begin the journey across the sea and I hope you're ready for it . . .

Ladetis snorted, laying down and resting his snout on his forepaws. I hope so as well, he hummed before he closed his eyes and succumbed to a fitful rest, one he deserved for getting them as far as he had in the time span he had done it in.

A quiet laugh of his own resounded in Tanui's mind as he watched how quickly Ladetis went to sleep, wishing he could also afford to let himself get a good slumber before they began the hardest part of the trip. But he had to watch over his dragon and Nethial for any sign of madness, something he had agreed to simply because he hadn't touched her mind unlike his bonded mental partner. As of yet, there had been nothing wrong with the dragonet until the comment he had made about seeing un-normal things.

"Nethial?" He asked after a moment more of reflecting on his dragon's mental state. "We need to go find some food."

'No.' Her sharp reply failed to surprise him given how often she hissed the simple word in his direction. A soft chuckle rose from his throat and he struggled to prevent her from hearing his amusement.

Tanui turned to face her, noting that her eyes were closed and she swayed slightly, rocking on her heels as she reached up with one hand to touch her head. His heart ached for her as he watched her slowly slip away from them, realizing she was now within her own madness once more. Restraining the urge to lightly touch her arm as he had done in the past, he stood there in silence and observed her trembling frame, slowly understanding she was muttering something under her breath.

'. . . Protectors of Peace. Peace? Peace is a lie, there is no peace. Darkness took our peace long ago . . .' Slowly her words became blurred, distorted as a low snarl rose from her throat. '. . . Peace is the mind set of those that are weak. Those who try and think themselves as powerful by using peace as their weapon. What is peace then? A true inner strength or . . .'

Nethial suddenly cried out in pain, grasping her head and rocking more forcefully. Tanui carefully placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to be comforting, only to find himself thrown to the ground the next minute with her holding him by the neck. With her right hand holding him by the back of his neck and everything from his waist up off the ground, her left drew the very blade he had made for her and slowly inched it toward his throat, her grey eyes open but void of any emotion or even conscious understanding of who she was with or where she was. If he was scared for his life, he didn't show it and instead sent a thought toward Ladetis, who awoke immediately and stood up, ready to come to his aid in seconds.

Apparently Nethial had seen Ladetis stand up for her grip tightened on his neck and the edge of her sword nicked his flesh, bringing out a small few drops of blood. 'No movement or he dies,' she hissed, her voice nearly unrecognizable from the calm quietness she had portrayed during her clear moments.

Put the sword down, Nethial, Ladetis snarled, his gaze flickering to Tanui for an idea of how to proceed.

'Never,' she spat, digging deeper into the small cut she had made in his neck, letting a small stream of blood ooze down his neck.

Ladetis snorted, taking a half-step closer as his gaze turned wary. Tanui hissed in pain as Nethial twisted the weapon slightly, carving a gash into his throat, the discomfort not yet unbearable but quickly heading that way at the rate she was slicing into him. As the clone watched, a change seemed to come over his dragon as Ladetis stopped and raised his head proudly, smoke rising from his nostrils.

A minute later, the white hatchling threw his weight onto Nethial and separated the two, freeing Tanui from her sword and letting him catch his breath as the dragonet and the mad former rider stood up and began to circle each other, possibly determining the best method of attack. Nethial had dropped her blade during the escape from under the dragon but her bare hands would be just as useful, considering Ladetis didn't try to do anything too risky.

Tanui shrunk back, scrambling past dead tree limbs and moving as fast as he could with one hand over his wounded throat. The injury would heal quickly but he was more concerned over the two as Nethial made the first move by jumping to try and clear the dragon, only to get smashed to the ground by one of Ladetis's forepaws. She snarled, pushing against the ivory bone as the white fledgling stared down at her, a low hum coming from deep in his chest.

Eventually the dragon let up and Nethial scrambled to her feet, inching away from Ladetis as her hands twitched trying to understand and compensate for the lack of a held weapon. The white dragonet growled, jerking his head back before letting out a spray of green liquid, the realization of the element hitting Tanui a moment later. Ladetis had somehow learned a deeper level of his poisonous abilities with now being able to spray acid, only that knowledge didn't help Nethial very much as she jumped away from the toxic matter, darting from broken tree limbs to bits of bark as she did her best to avoid getting hit by the dragon's new ability.

One jump from a piece of tree bark to a limb that looked fine to her resulted in her foot crashing through the limb's exterior, the entire branch rotten and weaker than what she had been using as a steady means of staying ahead of the poison-spitting dragon. With one leg caught in the dead bark, Nethial struggled to pull her captured limb free as she heard Ladetis snapping apart bits of bark to finally catch up to her. Her left hand reached down to her right knee, pulling frantically as the sound of cracking branches and the echoing of her punishment drawing ever closer.

Right as the rotted bark gave way and her leg was freed from its captive hold, a puddle of acid blasted into the broken limb right next to her. Nethial spun, reflexively raising her hands to shield her face, only to stare right into the maddened eyes of the white hatchling, another sphere of acid resting in its open jaws. Tanui forced himself to his feet, shaky slightly from the attack on him by Nethial, eyes wide at seeing how far Ladetis would take revenge to, if it was indeed revenge.

"Ladetis. NO!" He screamed, uncaring that he had spoken the words as he forced himself to run as Ladetis spat out the ball of poison at Nethial's exposed legs.

Her screams of pain would remain with him forever, Tanui realized as he hurried toward them and jumped between his dragon and Nethial, noticing the thick shafts of acid-eaten bone that lingered below her knees, the only thing left from the attack on her legs. Ladetis snarled, bating at him with a forepaw, but Tanui kept his position, getting struck in his left shoulder by his dragon. Nethial huddled behind him, trembling as the pool of red under her grew larger with each passing second, something he realized he would have to do something with soon to prevent her from bleeding to death.

Grabbing pieces of bark from around him, Tanui turned and bent down, pressing the wood against her blood-slick exposed bones as he poured energy into the lifeless objects in his hands. Gradually the shavings rippled, turning into a solid mass of stone that bound itself to her wounds and sealed them up, keeping her alive and nearly draining him of his life in the process.

What did you do? He hissed, panting as his stood back up and turned to face Ladetis, the hatchling standing still with its head lowered to the ground. What did you do, Ladetis? Tell me.

The dragonet was quiet for the longest time before finally slowly exhaling. I lost control, master. When her mind touched mine, I knew things would be different but not like this. He raised his snout toward Nethial who still lay behind Tanui. I never meant to do this . . . I never intended to harm her.

You never intended to? She could have died! Tanui snapped back, drawing his blade and pointing it back behind him at Nethial. You could have killed her, Ladetis. She wanted our help, remember?

I remember . . . Ladetis growled softly, the response lacking the emotion Tanui felt it should. He wasn't sure if his dragon was truly sorry or not, but he hoped Ladetis understood the repercussions of his attack on Nethial.

Tanui forced himself to calm his thoughts. It would do no good to get into a fight with Ladetis right after the dragon had nearly killed Nethial. He wasn't sure what to make of his feelings toward her anyway, but maybe Tamli's own memories were influencing his.

Get some rest. We leave in the morning for Tel-var. He sheathed his sword and turned, glancing back over his shoulder at the white hatchling. Don't try and kill us tonight . . . if you can help it.

Tanui slept for the most of the night curled around Nethial, who was still in shock from Ladetis's brutal attack on her. He wanted to not be mad at his partner-of-mind but for Nethial to lose all of her leg under both knees was far more than he intended to ever have to deal with. Wrapping a hand around her waist, Tanui pulled her closer to him, his mind too busy to allow him to get to sleep.

'You're awake?' Nethial asked, her question surprising him since it was the first words she had spoken since the attack.

"Yes. Do you mind me . . ."

Nethial chuckled softly, hushing him. 'No. It feels . . . pleasant. I haven't been this close to someone since . . . well, you don't need the details.'

Indeed he didn't. Tanui recognized her behavior as referring to her late night interactions with Tamli Dragonsbane and the love-making that had transpired. Through those sessions, they had grown close and had, ultimately, left her pregnant and without a husband as Tamli joined with Amia and Santerous Nekita to become a three-minded one-body union. He suppressed a growl, shifting slightly to allow her some comfort.

"I feared I lost you today. Seeing Ladetis filled with so much rage made me wonder just how far the link goes between a dragon and its partner."

'Everything passes between the two, or so it was with me and . . . my dragon,' Nethial explained, rolling over onto her back as she fixed one grey eye on Tanui. 'You would fight for me.'

The words weren't a question, he realized as she sighed and closed her eyes, titling her head back on a piece of bark. Somehow Nethial believed that he would fight to save her, even going so far as to protect her from herself and the madness that often consumed her. Tanui silently cheered over the small victory yet also worried over how she might take it if he expressed his confusing feelings to her.

"I don't know how I turned bits of tree bark into stone but it save your life, nearly killing me in the process . . ."

'It doesn't matter. You risked your life to save mine, to save a soul beyond redemption, and I thank you from the deepest part of my being.'

Nethial sighed again, reaching over to his outstretched arm and putting a hand on his forearm. Her gaze told him all he needed to know concerning their growing relationship, if it was indeed loving bringing them together. Tanui gingerly placed his other hand over hers and brought his gaze up to her face, marveling at how peaceful she looked when her eyes were closed.

'You find my . . . silence comforting?' She asked, barely opening one eye to see him watching her.

He chuckled softly, patting her hand and loosening his grip. "No, it's not that. I just thought you seem so . . . relaxed while you were nearing sleep. The fierceness you exhibit daily seems to wash away during the night . . . or so I believe it to be so."

'Is that true?' Nethial paused for a moment. 'I know you're a spawn-clone but how old was Tamli when they cloned him. He was two years older than I during our training in Paradise so he should have been thirty-six when the Battle of Corruption happened . . . What is it?' She questioned as Tanui started laughing, despite how tired he was with all that had gone on during the day.

"You almost died during the day and now you want to know how old Tamli is, even after you fervently made it known that you want nothing more than to never see him again. Honestly, Nethial, for being down in those tunnels for six years by yourself, you certainly have an odd sense of what to say."

Nethial huffed, rolling back over onto her side. 'Fine. I was trying to find out your age; since all the spawn-clones look the exact same I figured you might know, apparently not.' Her hand lifted from his arm and she curled both together in front of her, out of his reach. 'Go on and sleep, Tanui. I can't promise much but I'll try not to kill you during what remains of the night.'

"Alright, if you insist." Tanui withdrew his hands from her, tucking them close to his body as he pulled off his cloak and tossed it over him like a blanket. "Nethial?" He asked after a moment of quiet between them. "Could you help Ladetis control himself? You don't have to answer but I was just wondering if maybe you knew something either of us could do to make it easier for him."

'If I knew something, Tanui, would I not have told you already? I know as little as he does about this insanity that consumes us both. Despite living with it for six years now, I cannot say I understand . . .'

"What is it, Nethial?" Tanui asked as she stopped and her frame trembled slightly under the moonlight.

'You don't know . . .' She hissed, her back arching as she tried to curl into a ball. 'You don't know anything.'

Tanui frowned, raising up on an arm as he knew something wasn't right. He suspected she might have withdrawn back into her madness once more, hoping to cope with the loss of most of her lower body. Nethial shivered, her hands clinging to her chest as her grey eyes opened and seemed to go out of focus. Just from seeing that, Tanui pushed himself up into a sitting position and grabbed her right arm roughly, dragging her over to him.

"Nethial, listen to me. Fight this, I know you can. Prove to me the strength you once held when you were a rider. Show me!" He snarled, taking hold of both her shoulders and giving her a shake.

Her eyes still retained the blankness they usually held when she was in her maddened state, something he had grown used to seeing from her. A soft snort from Ladetis broke his concentration and he glanced in the direction of the sleeping dragon, only to see that the white hatchling was awake. Locking eyes with the dragonet, Tanui released his hold on Nethial and let her slip down to the ground.

You're awake, Tanui remarked as Ladetis growled and raised his head, all the while keeping an eye on his bonded partner.

As are you, master. She's slipped away from us again, I presume. The fledgling hummed, getting to his feet and shaking off a few loose pine needles from his scales.

Unfortunately, yes. I wanted so much to learn what I could from her before the madness reclaimed her once more.

Ladetis snorted, glancing at her with a guarded expression. My actions are something I deeply regret, you know that deep inside.

I know, but I wonder if she does. Tanui looked at Nethial, realizing her eyes had closed again and she twitched, running a hand along her waist and then curling it up against her chest. One cannot know for certain if she will forgive you, if she even knows you caused her to loose most of her lower half.

Nethial can blame me all she wants. We need her help when we get to Tel-var, right?

Tanui sighed, standing up and collecting his hands behind his back. Ladetis growled and walked over to his master, nudging him in the back. Nethial growled, shifting the stone that composed her lower half and then cringed, hissing slightly as both dragon and rider thought over what had happened since they had met her in the underground tunnels of Arxa's cavern.

We have to leave now. Waiting any longer will be hazardous to her health, both mental and psychical.

Ladetis snorted, gazing flickering to Tanui. If you feel that way, we can leave right now. Just put her on my back and hold tight.

Grabbing Nethial, Tanui threw her onto his shoulder and climbed up onto his dragon's back. Raising his snout to the sky, Ladetis snarled, taking a step back before jumping into the air, flapping his wings several times to gain altitude. Tanui clung to Nethial as air whipped past him, narrowing his eyes to try and see what his partner-of-mind saw as they flew.

Is it always this path we must carry? Ladetis asked to neither of them in particular.

What, Ladetis? I don't understand . . .

It's something Nethial mentioned during the time when she extended my wingspan. I didn't understand it then but I do now, somehow. Ladetis glanced back at Tanui from the corner of one eye. I understand her now, master. Maybe it is because we share a common experience but her words, mostly, make sense to me.

Good for you, Ladetis. At least one of us knows her mind, because I don't know her heart and . . .

I understand, master, Ladetis hummed, tilting to the left slightly as they passed through a cloud and then were able to look down on the same forest they had camped in for most of the night.

Tanui sighed, relieved that Ladetis knew his innermost feelings about Nethial and didn't try to dispute them out of spite. Moving his hands off Nethial to rest them in his lap, he felt a stabbing pain radiate from his left shoulder, the same one his dragon had hit during the fight. He had meant to check for damage but he hadn't thought anymore on the idea until now. Turning slightly so he could better see his shoulder, Tanui felt the surface first. Three large grooves dug into the flesh of his arm, leaving a bloody trail down his arm. Ripping the cloth off his arm, he gingerly placed a finger on the exposed muscle of his shoulder and upper arm.

I know I shouldn't have attacked you but, in my maddened mind, you stood between me and her, Ladetis admitted as Nethial trembled, her body stretched out over the dragon's back.

I know, Ladetis. I don't blame you for going after me, I do deserve it anyway after killing your siblings . . .

Ladetis snorted, smoke trailing from his nostrils. Master, don't blame yourself for that again. I told you I no longer hold that against you yet you continue to bring it up.

Tanui shuttered, withdrawing his hand from his shoulder and staring at his palm. I still remember mentally taking control over that knife and tossing it into the first egg, then calling it back and sending it into the second one . . . To think I almost did that to you still overwhelms me . . .

'Blaming yourself only makes it worse,' Nethial whispered, opening an eye and glancing at Tanui, her expression a mix of misery and sorrow. 'This I know . . .'

"I thought you were still held in your madness," Tanui remarked, whispering as loudly as he could so she could hear him so he didn't have to touch her mind and end up like his dragon or her.

'Tore from it . . . not easy. Tel-var and Attor await.'

Ladetis snarled, flaring his wings before flapping a couple times and descending into an air current. Then let us go over the water. The quicker we get answers, the better our decision to come will be.