Chapter 46-Reborn in Mind and Soul

Nestled within the heart of far-reaching mountains and a dense fog lay a series of ruined buildings and grassy hills; the once-lost island of Tel-var. Surrounded completely by water, the three found it before they realized what it was, leading to Ladetis almost flying into the tallest peak on the southern side of the region. Passing by the crags that greeted their arrival, the entire area rolled out before them as the white dragon descended from his height toward the center of the island. With the mountains protecting from the south, the west and east gently sloped toward the ocean, revealing white sand and high cliffs, while the north bore rocky terrain, possibly holding caverns or dragon holds.

Tanui used one hand to clutch to the small spines that adorned Ladetis's back, bracing his other hand on Nethial's shoulder to keep her on the dragon. Passing through clouds heavy with collected moisture, the white fledgling fanned out his wings to the limit and gradually dropped from the upper atmosphere to float over the ruins of a once respected building. A series of columns ran around the outer edges, although most were now broken off or toppled over, and yet the main structure was still standing. Grey stone, some parts aged brown from years of being battered by the weather, rose several feet off the ground, the height at about seven feet at its tipped point.

This place is amazing, Ladetis commented in awe as they looked down at the still-surviving ruin. Why was it abandoned though?

'My guess is the Great Flood . . . drowned those that once lived here. Certainly a small colony of dragons must have returned here but we have received no . . .'

"What is it?" Tanui asked, turning his head to better see her, only to spot the distant outline of two dragons coming from the horizon. Land, Ladetis! He commanded, worried they might be attacked before getting a chance to explain why they had come. Ladetis quickly circled around the ruin and landed several feet away, touching down at the base of a grassy knoll.

Within moments, the scaled beasts had caught up with them, landing nearby but also cautious. Out of the newcomers, the lead one, was easy to pick out as the other one stood several inches back from a battle-worn white dragon with orange eyes. Tanui blinked, startled as the memories Tamli had of Attor rushed back to him, visions of the mighty dragon and his beautiful rider. He shook his head, abandoning the thought and turned his attention to the other dragon with Attor.

The proud scaled beast lingering near Attor's right flank was a male dragon with scales in the dark blue to black range and having grey eyes, the same color as Nethial's irises. Ladetis snorted, directing their interest toward Attor as the orange-eyed dragon stepped forward and lifted a forepaw in their direction. A soft hiss came from behind him and Tanui figured Nethial had seen her former partner.

Please dismount, rider. Attor's voice rumbled in his mind, the sound far deeper than Ladetis's but also reminding him of a dragon from Tamli's past, one that had a deep impact on the original hybrid.

Doing as the old dragon asked, Tanui slipped off, grabbing onto Nethial to guide her broken body to the ground beside him. Ladetis hummed, lifting a wing to shield her from the view of the two newcomers and jerked his head toward his master, a low growl rising from his jaws. Tanui ignored the behavior and pulled the former rider from her uncomfortable position on Ladetis's back, only to find himself pushed up again his own dragonet a moment later by the damaged woman.

'You may speak, Ladetis, I have him held where he can hear you without interruption.'

Attor growled softly before Ladetis snorted, pushing against Tanui roughly with his snout. Do you want us to get in trouble with the old-one? He has not seen Nethial since her 'death' so we might want to think first about how to approach the subject . . .

You need not hide her from me, hatchling, Attor snarled, returning his forepaw to the ground with more force than needed, leaving the earth trembling slightly under his wake.

Ladetis folded his outstretched wing against his side and glared at Attor, who in turn was gazing intently at Nethial. She released her hold on Tanui and reluctantly turned around to face her former mind-partner. Tanui breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn't moving to attack either newcomer, something they had found troubling during their mad flight to the island.

You're alive, Attor remarked, snorting as Nethial focused her gaze on him and growled softly under her breath. Don't you remember me? I was your partner . . .

Nethial snarled, clenching one hand as her eyes narrowed, a sign Tanui knew as a display of her growing rage. He hoped Attor would notice and give her time to adjust to the new surroundings, otherwise a fight was certain to happen. He briefly glanced at Ladetis to see the dragonet eyeing the other dragon with held-back interest at seeing a beast nearly as large as what his father had been the last time he had seen Sitedal.

Young one, I was not expecting this kind of reaction from you. You honestly don't know me . . .

Without giving the dragon anymore time to try and accuse her of events she knew nothing about, Nethial drew her sword and threw herself in his direction. The blue-black dragon quietly stepped between them, interceding her attack and giving Attor a moment to compose himself from witnessing the change in his once-rider. Straining against the bulk of the beast nearly as large as the one she was after, a low hiss rose from her throat before she turned her wrist and stabbed the other scale-flier in the foreleg.

Do not strike back, Cambre, Attor snarled, pushing his way past the wounded dragon to wrap his tail around Nethial's sword arm and gently pulled her back off the blue-black beast.

'Let me go,' Nethial hissed, turning her head to see Attor out of the corner of her eye.

"They're just trying to help you, Nethial."

'No,' she snarled, reluctantly re-sheathing her sword and dropping her gaze from the white-scaled orange-eyed dragon.

Cambre growled softly, motioning for Ladetis to back down, the young dragon having taken a few steps forward out of uncertainly about how she would react. Tanui walked over to the darker scaled beast and offered to look at the wound, only to be turned away with a harsh snarl. Ladetis, upon seeing his master's rebuttal, hissed in warning at the blue-black beast.

Forgive Cambre, Attor commented, glancing at the mentioned dragon for a moment before his gaze returned to Tanui and Ladetis. He was raised wild by myself after the Battle of Corruption. I tried to teach him how to act around humans but he is a slow learner, has been for many years now.

Ladetis snorted, backing up a step. He barely looks older than I am so how old . . .

Attor hummed softly. Nine-thousand years, give or take. His species grows slowly, allowing for vast mental advances before the body can catch up.

Tanui blinked, startled by the revelation. Cambre was well over Ladetis's age, not to mention the difference between mental growth. "He's that old!" Turning his attention to Cambre he continued, "So Attor raised you nearly a thousand years into the time between paradise and the new realm."

Indeed, Cambre growled, his voice unnaturally gentle compared to his body size. Turning his attention to Nethial, the blue-black dragon lowered his snout toward her and snorted. Come, injured one.

Starting to turn around, Cambre stopped after a moment, glancing back at Nethial who remained where she was. The mound of stone that enclosed most of her lower half barely touched the ground, its tip resting on the solid earth under her. Attor growled, nudging her forward as he removed his tail from her arm, only to find that she continued to linger in the same spot and even began to tremble.

"Nethial," Tanui whispered, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'll go with her. She isn't . . ."

No, the injured one must come alone.

Ladetis snarled softly. Let him go with her.

I agree with Cambre, rider, you shouldn't go with her. He will heal her, no matter how long it might take.

"But . . ."

'I will be fine Tanui,' Nethial whispered, glancing at him for a moment before her gaze turned to Cambre. 'Follow . . . I must. Heal my broken body and mind.'

"Fine, but I want to be there when she wakes up."

As you will be, Cambre hummed, starting toward the ruined building they had landed near. This way, lost one.

As Cambre led Nethial into the building, Attor turned his attention to Tanui and Ladetis. Tanui could see the weariness in his eyes, sense it in the dragon's mind. Ladetis growled softly and went over to his master's side, draping a wing over his partner-of-mind.

I never expected to see her so broken, Attor admitted as he laid down on the ground, placing his snout on his forepaws. How was she when you found her?

Out of her mind. Lost in an ever-spreading madness that now affects me as well. That piece of stone you saw in place of her legs was caused by me. I attacked her in a moment of madness and ripped the flesh from under both of her knees. An action I deeply regret. Ladetis glanced at Tanui. But I am willing to learn how to control my element first so it doesn't happen again.

Good, good. I suspect you're both tried and . . . oh, I never got your names, did I?

"This is Ladetis, my poison-welder partner-of-mind," Tanui responded, motioning to his dragon first, "and I am Tanui, clone of the once mighty hybrid Tamli Dragonsbane."

Attor snorted in amusement. So they found a way to clone Tamli, huh? I know Nethial held a grudge against him for many years after he left her pregnant with Raoul but . . .

She still wants him dead, Ladetis snarled.

I'm not surprised. Come, I'll show you where to rest, young Ladetis. Attor retreated a step, flaring out his wings. You may stay here, Tanui, until Cambre is done. Trust me, you will know when that time comes.

Letting Ladetis go off with Attor, Tanui sat down at the entrance to the ruin. Pressing his back against the worn rock, he brought his knees up, resting his arms on them. Hearing the two dragons fly off toward a farther part of the island, he breathed a sigh of relief but also concerned for Nethial. He silently wondered when Cambre would be done and he could see her recovered in body and mind. He hoped Ladetis would receive training for his element, otherwise an event like what happened with Nethial might happen once more.

Dragging her wounded body through winding hallways of grey stone, Nethial scampered after Cambre, trying her hardest to keep up with the dragon. She almost regretted agreeing to have her mind restored, yet the choice had to be made if she wanted to be of any help to the poison-welder and spawn-clone pair that had shown her a brighter side of life. Stopping for a moment to catch her breath, she listened intently for the sound of claw-clicks that signaled the movement of the blue-black scale-flier.

Nethial growled under her breath, cursing the poison-welder for the damage he had done to her. She had only expanded his flight to allow them to go over the salt-sea but then for the dragon to deal her such a blow . . .

Snarling softly, she hesitated a moment longer before picking up her pace as she heard the claw-clicks resound deeper into the rubble maze. '. . . What once was great is now broken . . .'

Finally catching up to the dragon, she paused as Cambre entered a large circular room with a stone slab in the center. Continuing the design of the entire building, the walls and even the middle were the same color grey, but she focused on the scale-flier as he walked around the upraised well-worn broken column, his tail motioning her forward.

Growling under her breath, she slid into the room, making her way toward the center. Her black hair hung in knots down past her ears, occasionally getting in her way as she struggled to move forward, something that slowed her progress slightly as she stopped frequently to brush it back behind her neck. Crawling around the edge of the table, Nethial grabbed the side of it, pulling herself up into a standing position, baring her full weight on the tip of her wood-stone lower half and trusting that the slab's side wouldn't break off.

Cambre gently guided her around so that she clutched the slab behind her and then tapped her forehead with the tip of his tail, whispering softly, Sleep, injured one.

Pain seared through her body as his light touch sent her back onto the slab, a sense of muted consciousness coming over her. She could hear and see what was going on but, for the most part, she was unable to move. By a power beyond her control, her lower half twisted in agony and clicked several times, forcing her to slide up on the stone to make her entire body fit. Cambre moved around so he was standing behind her and then she closed her eyes . . .

. . . The sound of words long-ago spoken drifted to her as she regained her half-consciousness, opening her eyes to find that she was now being suspended in the air by thick white mist. Closing her eyes until she could see only through a tiny slit, she heard the steady breathing of the blue-black beast behind her. Suddenly a second flash of agony flowed through her as something alike to thick cables burrowed deep into her legs, breaking through some of the wood-stone Tanui had used to save her life following Ladetis trying to melt her legs off with his acid-venom. Her gaze flickered to her left wrist, startled as she saw what looked like metal bands being where there had once been smooth skin, the same flesh she had not burned and instead wrapped in cloth to try and prevent herself from turning her entire body fire-black as self-inflicted punishment for her maddened-memory impairment.

Her mind seemed emptier as well, leaving her time to dwell on things she had never considered much during her six years of silence in the tunnel system under Arxa's cave. Tanui had been so kind to her, shown her a love she had never had with anyone else other than with Tamli. She briefly wondered what to make of the interactions between her and the spawn-clone. It wasn't lust that drove her to stay by his side but she wasn't sure what to call it that kept her interest in the hybrid. Focusing her attention back on Cambre, she closed her eyes again, only to find herself slowly drifting off into a trace-like state . . .

. . .Varying sizes of metal scraps molding around the wire imbedded in her legs . . .

. . .The wood-stone breaking off and the new metal fusing into place with agony-burning heat from the energy Tanui had used to make the life-saving material on her legs . . .

She screamed, crying out until she became hoarse. The pain hurt so much, reminded her of the light-spear that had ended her first life as a human. Restraining herself barely, Nethial forced herself to reach out with her mind and locate Cambre, just to know if he had left her floating in the air. The dragon had not moved from his position, one forepaw now raised to be even with the crown of her head. Still writhing in agony, although her body was immobile, she gradually felt a change in the mist around her. Where it was once thick and heavy, it was now thin and vanishing quickly. Soon she felt the smoothness of the stone slab under her and finally the misery ceased.

A low hum filled the air and she felt the tip of Cambre's tail again tap her forehead, his soft whisper floating through her. Arise, Nethial Asburo. Reborn soul in spirit existence.

The feeling of her limbs being weighed down left and Nethial lifted a hand up to get a closer look at the new metal on her wrists, opening her eyes slowly for fear of the scale-flier doing anything else to her. Three bands of dark grey metal connected into a single piece, forming a large cover for what had once been perfectly fine skin. The edges of each smaller strip were a lighter grey, giving the band a two-tone appearance.

There is one who wants to see you, Cambre growled as Nethial lost interest in the wristbands and lowered her arm back onto the table with a sharp ping of metal.

'Bring him in then,' she growled, scared of what she might find concerning her lower half.

The claw-clicking of Cambre's taloned feet drifted away for a second before it returned, bringing with him a person she wanted to see so badly. Tanui had lost his white cloak before the flight, leaving him with only a bloodstained white robe to protect him but seeing that one piece of clothing coming closer to her from out of the corner of her eye soothed her fears. He rushed to her as she forced herself to sit up, leaving Cambre to stand at the entrance to the room. She hugged him, breathing in the earthy scent that was the same for all the spawn-clones but slightly different in his case because of his mind-bond with Ladetis.

"Leave us," Tanui requested of the dragon as they separated and Nethial found the courage to glance down at whatever remained of her legs.

From her knees downward, there was only metal. Thick pieces held by strong cables, the same cables she had felt burrow deep into her legs while still semi-conscious, connected to smaller sections that led to what she thought was an attempt at a foot. Two large, wide sheets of steel had been worn down until only two grooves of metal remained jetting out in the front and one in the back, the sides curved and each entire piece nearly about the size of what one of her own feet had been.

Going up towards her waist, she noticed that Cambre had attached small bands of metal like those on her wrists to her thighs and upper leg, ending at her hips. She felt Tanui tenderly squeeze her hand in reassurance but she made no move to return the gesture. From the looks of her legs, she was now more metal that flesh, more un-human that ever before . . . but she liked the way her new legs looked.

"Do you like it?" Tanui asked as she pushed his hand away and swung her body over to one side of the stone, preparing herself for her first steps with metallic limbs.

'How could I not?' She hissed back, standing up and taking a few steps forward, only to fall to her hands and knees.

Throwing her weight back behind her, Nethial clutched the edge of the table and used it to get back onto her feet. Snarling softly under her breath, she broke out into a run, finding it easier to control her new limbs while losing herself in something as freeing as moving quickly through hallways she had dragged her wood-stone lower half through hours before.

Leaving the ruined building, she slid to a stop just outside the doorway, waiting for Tanui to catch up with her. When he finally did, he was out of breath, panting heavily. She suppressed a light chuckle. 'I hate what kept me going even though my mind was starting to break beyond repair. As you know, the madness just kept getting worse and worse, making me question my own sanity at times. I despise what I became. A ruined soul, forgotten by all who once knew me simply because they felt they had witnessed my death so long ago. It isn't right but I will not judge.'

"You survived though," Tanui pointed out, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder.

'Of course I survived,' she growled, spinning around and nearly kicking him in the face with one leg.

Dodging her metal limb, Tanui gave her a quick smile, a lightness to his eyes she hadn't seen until today. Tapping the ground with one of her feet, marveling at the way it clicked with even the slightest movement, Nethial found her gaze held by his red irises. There was a connection between them, she realized as he hesitated to break away, reaching into his robe and then quickly putting one hand behind his back.

'What is it?' She asked, curious as her gaze shifted to the hand he held behind him. 'Better yet, how long was I in that building?'

"Almost half a day," Tanui muttered, slowly bringing out his hand, his fingers clutched tightly around something resting in his palm.

Nethial frowned, glancing up at the sky to confirm his answer. The sun, having barely begun to rise upon their descent into Tel-var, was now nearing the skyline in the opposite direction. With the sky a dull orange from the setting light, she growled under her breath and returned her gaze to Tanui. He gave her a reassuring smile before opening his palm up to her, revealing a silver necklace crafted out of gleaming steel. A tiny medallion pulled the center of the jewelry down, its oval design carved into with two triangles, the top one flipped over and smaller than the bottom one.

A small gasp escaped her before she could stop herself, her hand reaching out to touch the smooth metal that told so much about who she had once been. 'This is . . . the symbol of the riders. I never thought you knew . . .'

Tanui chuckled, walking around behind her and securing it on her neck. "I told you I have all of Tamli's memories." He paused for a second, marveling at her beauty. "This is just a small gift . . ."

'You don't know how much this means to me,' Nethial whispered, turning around to face him as she lowered her outstretched hand back to her side. 'I lived in darkness for so long, dreaming of one day getting my revenge, only to fall for a clone of the same man I once loved but now hate.'

"I can't say anything. My heart fell for you as soon as I saw you huddling in the darkness of the tunnels. The pain in your eyes just captured me and now I can't let go."

'Funny,' she growled, placing a hand on his collarbone. 'I feel the same way.'

Inching her body forward, Nethial leaned in close to him, taking in his scent. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting him gingerly kiss her. Finding that it didn't hurt her, she pressed in closer, grabbing hold of the back of his neck with one hand and lifting her other to frame his cheekbone. Tanui eagerly pressed a hand against the small of her back and kissed her again, longer this time.

Siding backwards, Nethial led him back to the building she had been restored in, letting her shoulders rest against the cool stone as Tanui's kisses grew more frantic, more powerful. Lifting her hands off him, she lightly pushed him back a step and then ripped his robe open, letting him step out of what remained as she retreated into the building, motioning him to follow . . .