Chapter 51-Escape

Tanui's return to consciousness was not a pleasant experience by any means as he found that he had somehow burrowed himself into the side of his cell, his back bracing against the steel bars as tightly as possible. He gently slid away from the metal and stretched out, cringing in pain as he loosened the tension in his body as much as he could. Muscles protested in the movement but he soon felt able to move without being gripped in a spasm of agony, a welcome feeling that he took advantage of as he sat up, looking down at his arms as he crossed them over his lap to see that someone had bound white cloth on his right hand from his broken knuckles to his wrist.

Clutching his knees, Tanui hissed as quiet laughter from within his mind confirmed to him that he hadn't escaped from his living nightmare, the mental decay still present and growing worse with each passing day. He had hoped for so long he would be free from the destruction of identity that Amia had warned him about, free to act as himself even though he was a clone. As long as he still had moments when he was sane, he would fight to keep himself together as he had before everything had fallen apart.

His thoughts were interrupted by Cambre's entrance into his cell, the dragon barging in and glaring at him as though he was the cause of something that had happened while he had been unconscious. Getting to his feet as the door to his holding area slammed shut loudly, Tanui retreated a step as a low growl from the ice healer rattled him.

I promised we would talk more about your . . . decline once I had given you time to adjust, per Nethial's instructions. Now with her being gone . . .

Tanui narrowed his eyes, fixating his gaze on the blue-black scale-flier. "What do you mean she's gone?" He rasped, finding it hard to speak.

She left the island with Ladetis, intent on finding a way to help you. Nothing I say to her has worked, she still wants to help someone who isn't even consciously there anymore . . .

Despite himself, Tanui found he was trembling after hearing the words so harshly spoken about his current state. A low growl escaped him as he clenched his left hand into a fist, the wrapping around his right making it unable to move very much at all. Cambre had the nerve to insult him to his face, to blame him solely on Nethial leaving.

"Take back what you said," he hissed, feeling his anger spike as the voices started up again.

"He's right . . . No one would ever trust a mentally unstable clone."

"Quiet," Tanui snarled, bringing his right hand up to his head. "Stay quiet. I need to concentrate."

Cambre snorted in amusement. Exactly my point. You're already gone but she can't seem to realize that fact. It's a shame really, I enjoyed having you around when you were purpose-driven but now . . .

Lunging at him, Tanui allowed his anger to feed his fury as he collided with the massive dragon. The impact knocked the wind from him but Cambre merely tossed him aside, sending him crashing into one of the sides of his cell. Dazed from the crushing blow, he blinked and wearily raised his head, only to get shoved up against the metal bars by a single mental thought from the scaled creature.

Unable to get a moment to recover after his rash move against the one who had restored Nethial to a semi-healed state, Tanui glared at the dragon as he panted, chest heaving even while his fury grew upon itself. Letting out a scream of rage, he concentrated all of his energy on himself as he willed his body to change into the less common dragon forme he had also copied from the original hybrid. Slowly his skin morphed, turning darker and becoming tougher as the outline of scales gradually appeared. Twin shards of bone expanded and broke the skin side-by-side on his back as each piece rose into the curved base of a single pair of wings, smaller pieces forming later as flexible softer skin flowed over the entire section and stretched tightly to ensure a complete working appendage. A tiny spike rose from the base of each large bone-wing shaft, its white coloration vastly contrasting with the black of the rest of his body as it turned into the natural proportions of a dragon.

With his wings done, another shard of bone grew and broke the skin along his lower back, tapering down to a single point as newly made skin flowed over it and soon covered it in the black scales that had been derived from the color of his hair. A row of tiny white spikes grew and rose from his back, following the contours of his spine as the ivory pikes narrowed severely as they met the base of his tail, draping off into small nubs, while the largest ones rested between his shoulder blades and his newly formed wings. His transformation continued as his legs shortened but grew more muscular as four sharp white claws extended from the rounded edge of the front of each new foot. The chest cavity increased in size as important body parts moved around slightly as some grew larger to accompany his new form, the sensation a pleasant one for Tanui as he used his anger as fuel for his shifting into dragon forme. Arms elongated and, like with the feet, sharp claws grew out from where had once been fingers, three ivory talons on each forepaw.

His head was perhaps the most changed of his body, its appearance shifting drastically in shape and length as the dragon blood in his being crafted his new forme from years of being among the scaled creatures. The same red irises that made him so stunning as a human remained mostly untouched as his neck grew longer to accompany his now larger skull, the full transformation taking less than five minutes and with little pain felt by Tanui during the turning of human into dragon. Landing to the ground with a gentle flap of his new wings, he glanced at Cambre as the ice healer retreated a step in shock, dropping its mental hold and letting him loose.

Standing at his full height, Tanui was about six-and-a-half feet tall from shoulder to the floor, where Cambre was only six feet tall but considerably more skilled. Whirling around, Tanui's tail slapped down on the release for the door to his cell, the resounding beep making the wall to his left slide away. He leapt for it, only to be intercepted by Cambre as the ice dragon jumped in front of him and pushed him back with raw strength, making Tanui retreat a few steps to regain his balance. Raw energy rose from within him and he opened his maw, releasing a stream of crackling red electricity that plowed into the unsuspecting dragon, temporarily immobilizing Cambre.

Using the burst of his newfound element as a distraction, Tanui shoved himself past Cambre and slid out into the hall, eyes narrowed and glancing around for the threat of an attack. His skull felt as if thousands of tiny shards of light were piercing into it but he ignored the sensation as best he could and leapt down the hall, getting halted by two security dragons. Slowing to a stop, he heard the harsh snarl of the ice healer behind him and risked a glance to see the blue-black scale-flier rapidly advancing towards him. Both paths were blocked, he realized as he turned around, facing Cambre as he slid his tail across the marbled floor.

There's nowhere to run now, Cambre growled as Tanui lowered his head, baring his teeth as he raised his tail and retreated a step.

Is there?

Within seconds, he turned and sent two quick bursts of electricity at the pair of dragons that stood behind him before glancing behind him to roar in challenge to the ice healer. Tearing down the hallway again, after making sure the two security scale-fliers were dead from the electrical shock he had launched directly at their hearts, Tanui finally spotted an entryway into the building. Dodging a shard of ice from behind him, he leapt towards the open area and out into a mountainous terrain as the night sky above him shone softly with the light from millions of tiny stars. Lifting his wings high, his gaze frantically searched for something he could use to jump off of to take to the air.

Another blast of ice hit the ground right beside him and he turned, realizing that Cambre had finally caught up with him. The blue-black scale-flier slowly advanced as Tanui retreated, curving his wings around his frame to make himself appear larger; he snarled softly as agony burned through his mind and the voices, while strangely silent during his shift into dragon forme, began their distractive chatter once more. He wished for some kind of relief but knew there was nothing that could be done to reverse the damage already inflicted to himself. Red eyes blazed as he drew himself up to full height, his nostrils flaring as Cambre let loose another burst of ice.

Shoving himself off the ground and seeking refuge in the air momentarily, Tanui twisted, arching his neck as he unleashed a torrential stream of electricity down on Cambre. Wings beating frantically, he threw himself into a dive, ramming into the older dragon with enough force to knock both of them to the ground. The blue-black scale-flier was back on its feet first and retreated silently into the shadows of the opening to the facility Tanui had been locked in for weeks, leaving the clone struggling to regain his senses. Snarling harshly in both anger and pain, he sent another burst of electricity towards the ice beast, only for the attack to miss its mark and leave Tanui panting to catch his breath.

I expected better, Cambre taunted as Tanui glanced around for the dragon, finally getting back on his feet as his legs trembled from exhaustion.

Show yourself, he snarled, folding his wings tight against his back and whirling around as he heard the sound of talons click against loose stones.

Why? So you can escape again? I've seen creatures similar to you, how they lose everything they ever had because of madness. You were right, I should have killed you . . .

A snarl of defiance rose from his throat and Tanui lashed out, letting loose a massive stream of electricity towards the direction he had seen Cambre retreat into. Smoke rose into the air as the strike burned into a pile of rocks, revealing that the dragon had moved from his location during the taunting.

Stop hiding! Tanui roared, shrieking a moment later and retreating several steps back as pain seared through his mind.

The quiet laughter that aggravated him so much rose in volume and he jerked his head up, closing his eyes as he quivered. Agony tore through him but something in him kept him on his feet as memories ripped into him, tearing away at his sanity further as he growled softly. He had to hold onto what he knew . . . He was a clone, a product of a former rider's disgust at society and at one individual in particular.

He loathed Tamli, hated the original hybrid with all his being. Why wouldn't the man die already? It would be so much easier if it was just him . . . no trying to be superior and having to fight memories that drove him to madness. But how could he forget about Nethial? He loved her so much but . . .

"Such a weak fool to believe she cares anything for you," the same irritating voice as before in his cell whispered as he shook his head, reopening his eyes as the blazing red of his irises seemed to consume his tiny pupils.

Leave me alone! He screamed, flaring his wings and leaping from the rocky terrain into the sky, letting himself be lost in visions he tried so desperately to forget . . .

Tamli jolted awake in a cold sweat, panting heavily as he sat up and pressed a hand against his chest. It was the same dream every night but why now did it startle him so badly? He knew the clones were a problem yet what he saw . . . terrified him beyond words. Unspeakable acts committed by his darker 'brother' that would, ultimately, lead to them meeting in a final deadly battle. Was it the thought of having to face himself that made his body tremble so violently?

He wasn't sure anymore, not after having witnessed the death of the same man who had cloned him be killed by the copies that were created. Amia's feral scream of defiance still rang loud in his mind even now, but maybe the thoughts of Tanui still being out there had conjured the memories. Sighing in exhaustion, he let his gaze drop to the white sheets he clutched tightly in his hands, relaxing his grip as he raise a hand and ran it through his hair. A brief snort from beside him made him jump and it took him a moment to remember that his dragon was now sleeping by his side nightly for their joined protection.

Finca lay right beside him, curled protective around the small cot that served as his temporary bed until the whole issue with his memory was sorted out. Making himself relax ever so slightly, he felt his heart still race frantically as he blinked, pushing back the soft fabric as he swung his legs over to the floor, feeling the cool stone under his toes. Wearing only a pair of black shorts, he placed his hands firmly on his knees and took a moment to catch his breath as he sat on the edge of the mattress. Hesitant, he reached out to his dragon partner, still not wanting to accept that they were together as a mated pair, and gently touched her mind to get her to awaken.

It's the middle of the night, love. Tamli released a pent-up sigh, lowering his head as he studied the vast scars that marred the once smooth flesh on his fingers. I feel unease from you, little one. What is it? Another burst of memory that's returned? Finca asked as she lazily blinked open her eyes and brought her head around to stare him directly in the face, having rested inches from his side.Talk to me, please.

Swallowing, he waited a moment longer before looking her in the eye, afraid at what her reaction might be to hearing about his nightmares that had been plaguing him for days. "She's alive."

Who?

"The one I saw earlier that you said was Raoul's mother. The girl with the white dragon nearly identical to yourself. The one I watched breathe her last breath."

Finca's sharp intake of breath worried Tamli as her eyes narrowed. That's impossible! She died, you said so yourself, so how . . .

"I don't know," he admitted as he stood up. Finca quickly rising and going to his side, her snout brushing up against his arm in comfort. "I just don't know. Somehow . . . somehow it makes sense within my mind but I . . ."

We need to see Makiar about this, Finca growled, nudging him forward gently as her warm yellow irises glistened in the near darkness of their sleeping quarters. Follow me.

Tamli wished he had taken the lead as he let her guide him from the room and down winding corridors until they arrived at a large room, the entire area even darker than their chamber had been. Smoke trailed along the floor and he stepped closer to the white dragoness, only to hear Finca chuckle softly within their mental link. From within the mist, two yellow irises gleamed menacingly, their color a darker shade of the normal topaz he knew all too well from the gaze of his own dragon.

Makiar? Finca growled, taking a step forward into the rolling black vapor that covered the floor.We need to speak with you.

What is your reason for coming this late at night? The red dragoness hissed in questioning, her voice sounding much darker than when Tamli had last heard it.

My mate has come across very disturbing news, great one. The former love he had a child with is somehow alive, although further details are unknown at this point.

Makiar snorted in amusement. This concerns me to what extent? It is of no issue unless she makes her appearance known, which I doubt would be the case. A sense of heaviness surrounded Tamli, making his skin crawl and leaving him slightly queasy. Now leave me.

Tamli felt a tremble of anger surge through Finca's body but she suppressed it long enough until they had left the room, snarling in rage as soon as the closeness of the main corridor enclosed them once again. He wasn't as irritated as she was, mostly distracted by how unnatural their conversation had gone with the ruby dragoness. Whatever he had witnessed had not been normal, he realized as his dragon set off down the hallway in search of another who would be able to understand the importance of the knowledge he had discovered through his dreams.

. . . And what of the clone?

Startled, Tamli whirled around, finding Finca engaged in conversation with Sitedal, the black dragon seeming to be curious in what she was explaining. Walking over, he felt himself being studied by the fear-user but refused to show that he was unnerved by how attentive the dark beast had become since joining their underground group.

Ah, Tamli, I was just explaining to Sitedal what you had seen in your vision. I assumed you didn't have a problem with me telling others . . .

. . . Finca lay dead at his feet; numerous wounds marred her once glistening hide and her neck scales were stained with blood from where the tissue had been sliced open. A large gash stretched down from her throat to her chest, leaving the earth around the area crimson tinged. Lightning tore across the sky as he glanced down at the cracked ground around him, hands shaking so much he clenched them into fists. Harsh laughter from behind him made him turn around, only to flinch at seeing Tanui standing there with the tip of his weapon stained a dark red, a crazed look to his eyes that possibly hinted at mental detachment.

"Hope you didn't mind. She was in the way so I took care of the problem," the clone commented as he grinned, lifting the sword high above his head. "Now there's only one left that stands in the way of my greatness . . . Only one that separates me from the role Master placed me in the moment he figured out I was the perfect one."

Clacking madly, Tanui lunged for him, the cold steel piercing his body before he even had a chance to draw his own weapon for protection. With his fatal wound burning in pain, the clone withdrew the blade and took a step back, the same grin returning as a glimmer from within the scarlet irises unnerved Tamli. Hissing, he slid to his knees, eyes finding the broken body of his beloved partner even as death's cold embrace washed over him.

It was over. He had lost. Everything he fought so hard for was gone. A clone, a copy of himself had been the better of the two . . .

Tamli! Finca's screeching in his mind pulled him back from the vision and he jerked back to attention, falling to his knees as the sheer weight of what he had seen washed over him.

Unable to stop himself, Tamli hung his head and refused to answer his dragon, tears streaming down his face. A clone . . . Tanui, he corrected himself, would be the one to bring his death. Stabbed by a sword after the pain of losing his dragon would be enough to bring him within range of the delusional hybrid. A choking sob rose in his throat and he covered his mouth, finally breaking down and letting his emotions spill out over all that he had seen in the vision.

Finca's low hum soothed him slightly as he heard the sound of her unfolding a wing, only to find that she had draped it over him protectively. What did you see, love? You can tell me, you know that.

"I saw . . . Tanui unhinged and . . ."

It makes sense that the clone would be unbalanced, Sitedal snorted in disgust as Tamli glanced up at the black dragon, marveling at how calm he had remained since they had begun talking about Tanui, mostly due to the fact that the clone had taken Ladetis away and bonded with the fledgling. A copied individual, no matter the power level, is always at risk of losing their identity and forgetting they are not the one they were cloned from, despite what their damaged mind may tell them. The only reason I know so much about this is because of my mother's involvement with the project, although she came on later and eventually overtook the main operation, seeing as Amia became fixated on another diversion from his goal . . .

Raoul, Finca growled softly, glancing at Tamli from the corner of her eye as he slowly regained his composure. It makes sense now as to why he was chained up, held by his wrists and isolated from the other clones. Amia must have turned his attention to a direct blood relation, possibly seeking a way to prevent the mental decay the copies were experiencing.

Mother never mentioned why but Arxa took over before she could explain her interest further on the idea Amia had created. From what I know, at least two to three hundred copies were grown, each in varying mental states. Tanui, however, was the one they felt was the most complete, most able to carry out his master's mission of destroying everything Tamli held important.

"He said that I stood in his way, that I prevented him from achieving the greatness Amia had seen in him." Sighing, Tamli got to his feet, fixing his gaze on Finca.

What did you see in your vision? Finca growled, pressing him for answers despite how much he had shown he didn't want to talk about it.

"The clone . . . Tanui killed you and then used your dead body as a distraction to catch me off-guard. He taunted me, raving that I was the one who stood between him and the 'fate' Amia had given him. Before I could strike back, he plunged the cold metal of his sword, of the same blade used to end your life, into me. The coldness of death crept over me as the knowledge of my failure weighed heavily on my mind, my last glance lingering on you before . . ."

Before I pulled you out of the vision, Finca finished for him softly, moving over and resting her snout against the small of his back. Little one . . .

Sitedal's low growl startled Tamli and he glanced at the black scale-flier, only to find that the dragon's eyes were not on him. A few seconds later Finca also looked towards the same direction, worry clouding her thoughts from him as he felt a slight twinge of sorrow brush across their mental link. Curious, he turned around, taking a step back as he realized that Makiar lingered right at the entryway to her chamber, her head and shoulders sagging as wisps of smoke rose from her back.

Again the same feeling of sadness touched his mind from Finca and he glanced at her in questioning. A rattling cough from the red dragoness returned his attention immediately to Makiar and he noticed she carried herself differently as she slowly entered into the hallway. Her head, once held erect with pride, now drooped and her eyes looked burdened by something that only she knew.

Corruption's influence stretches even here, Sitedal growled quietly as Makiar halted before Tamli, her eyes looking him over before a ragged snort sent flecks of hot liquid into his hair.

I was wrong to doubt you, she whispered, her voice weak and strained as he stared up at her weary eyes, placing a hand on her foreleg in comfort. I've lived too long to know when there is a true warning and I failed to heed yours. Forgive me, Tamli.

Her eyes clouded as another cough left her shaking, her body looking so feeble compared to the mighty dragoness she had been not so long ago. Corruption's power taunted me for the longest time, feeding off my desire of revenge against the dragons that stripped me of my body and threw my mind into Finca's newling frame. I loathed them for that but, over time, I found myself fond of the white dragoness who was my host, marveling at how calm she was towards everything that happened between you and her. It pained me to leave her . . .

Makiar snarled, collapsing to the floor as a low rattling hiss from Finca brought tears to Tamli's eyes. I never realized just how vengeful the darkness was until it was too late. It fed from me for years, draining small amounts of energy until its rebirth and entrance into Narssia. Now . . . Now I don't have anything left. Her eyes broke from Tamli, searching until she found Sitedal. Watch yourself and your sister, fear mongrel. There is still a chance for her redemption, and for Jormundur's.

Sitedal growled softly in understanding as Tamli backed away, letting Finca go to the side of her friend and mentor. He hated to watch the death of another dragon but particularly so soon after his vision of Finca's death. Feeling unnerved, he let the dark scale-flier lead him away from the scene even as the mourning keen began for the dying fire dragoness.

"What killed her?" Tamli asked as he followed Sitedal quietly, Finca having withdrawn into her own mind to give him peace from having to feel her sorrow and hurt at Makiar's demise.

Corruption. Sitedal snorted, flicking the end of his tail as he turned to walk into one of the smaller rooms.Mother never knew just how dangerous it was and to think . . . To think that it killed Makiar alone over thousands of years without anyone knowing . . .

"Finca took me to see her after I awoke from dreaming about my former love being alive. When we confronted her, I felt sickened by just being in the room and she wasn't giving much support at all to what was being said."

Pure darkness never mixes well with pure light, the dragon retorted, glancing at him as he hesitated near the room's opening. Ryta would have been an example of that had Jormundur and I not gotten her away when we did . . .

What is it, brother? The soft growl of the brown dragoness echoed as Sitedal and Tamli entered the darkened area to see the female lingering near the only light in the room, a blue lanturn turned down to almost no illumination.

Makiar is dead. Corruption's strain on her over years of draining strength finally ended it. However, I come not just with bad news, sister, as Tamli has seen Nethial in his dreams.

She came back? Ryta snorted, rising from the floor and moving over to them, the light becoming brighter to trail her form.

"Indeed," Tamli muttered, running a hand through his hair as he felt the specks of blood left by Makiar when she had snorted during their brief talk. "Nethial returned and Tanui has mentally declined."