Chapter 57-Unify
Begin anytime you are ready.
Seraphina crouched under the shadow of a tall evergreen tree at her father's command, her emerald irises observing as he sat perfectly still in the center of an open field barely five feet away from her. Blades of healthy green grass under her talons cushioned her nervous movements and she fought to keep her concentration steady as an amused snort from her father confirmed that she was making too much noise already. It was supposed to be a training session for her to learn the value of limiting sound while hunting but, so far, she had not done very well. Her uncertainty had always given her away before she could even think about launching herself at the much larger dragon who was being the part of the prey for their exercise.
Shaking her head, hoping to clear her thoughts, she inhaled and closed her eyes before leaping towards her prey. Her father dodged her initial strike and darted away from her, slapping her neck with his tail as he unfolded his wings and crouched, glancing back at her to reassure her. Snorting in disgust at another failed attempt, Seraphina lunged for him, scraping her claws against the thick scales that lined his back as Sitedal let her shove him onto his side. Tiny talons fought for a grip as the sudden movement nearly knocked her off her captured target, her attention so focused on trying to pin him to the grassy ground that she slipped off minutes later as the dragon rose back up to a sitting position.
Unwilling to give up so easily, she snapped at the closest foreleg to her, only to receive a low snarl in warning as her father moved the limb before she could bite it. Crouching once more, she tried to jump up on him, only to be knocked away by a wing as he folded them back against his back. Knocked back onto her back by the blow, she snorted and rolled over, only to get shoved into the earth under her by a cold, hard snout.
You still have a long way to go, my child. Strength does not come overnight but with time . . . you may become great. Sitedal raised his snout, motioning for her to join him back in the middle of the field.
Disgusted with herself at her failure to complete the exercise again, Seraphina reluctantly rose and slowly followed after him, her gaze dropping to the grass under her to avoid having him see her wounded pride. In her mind, failure was not an option, not with how things had developed concerning her brother. Deep down, she blamed herself for his disappearance, unknowing that he had become bonded to the killer of their siblings.
Do not be disheartened, Seraphina, Sitedal hummed softly as she sat down beside him, unable to meet his gaze. Even with your inexperience, you already surpass what I was able to do when I was that young. I am proud of you, my daughter, so very proud. Dhran is to lucky to have a partner like you by his side.
I'm nothing special, Father. Surely you realize this after what happened with Ladetis . . .
Sitedal snorted softly before lowering his head and nuzzling her tenderly. You have a warrior's heart, my child, and it is your honest compassion that makes you feel such simply because you fail to realize the potential you possess.
I am barely beyond my first month of life, Seraphina hissed in reply, shaking her head and freeing herself from her father's loving contact. Yet you train me as if I am years ahead of my own age. Why? So that I may fail and prove you wrong?
Because I see myself in you, Sitedal remarked as he closed his eyes, sighing. Verdra doesn't know this but I have a strong attachment to you, Seraphina. You're brash and quick to act, traits I was once known for in my younger years . . .
Seraphina got to her feet and circled around behind her father, her footsteps light even as the grass crunched under her ivory talons. She had never known this side of him before and it startled her to see the parallels between them. Her bond to Dhran was the same as his connection to his siblings, since she had only seen Ladetis for only a few minutes prior to his disappearance at the hands of Tanui. Coming to a stop beside his right wing, she crouched, trembling as a mental thought came to her that was not from either of her parents.
Murderous traitor! This wasn't supposed to happen, not to so many innocent lives. There is a debt to pay for what has occurred and I will see to it being collected.
Jerking away from the strange contact, Seraphina found Sitedal had draped a wing over her and had pulled her close to his side. A low growl of comfort reassured her and she buried her head against his chest, shaking in fear over what she did not know.
A war is coming, little one. A massive conflict that will ultimately vanquish either the ones who follow Corruption's twisted influence or those who choose to fight against the dark tyranny. Sitedal paused, listening to the panicked breaths of his daughter as he reopened his eyes. I will do everything I can to make sure you aren't hurt by this. It's the least I could do, considering my parentage.
As Seraphina nestled against her father's side, she heard the distinct sound of wingbeats coming towards them. Lifting her head away from the coal-black scales, her gaze turned to the clear sky above the tree line, noticing the vague outline of a dragon she was unfamiliar with. Sitedal, having noticed her sudden interest in the sky, growled lowly in his throat and stood, walking forward a few steps. Unsure of his behavior, she scrambled to her feet and followed after him, only to be halted by a low snarl sent in her direction, amethyst irises flickering to her for a moment before returning to the form of the dragon above them.
Speak, outsider, Sitedal commanded, his voice rough and coarse as Seraphina detected the slightest bit of insecurity in his tone, enough to unnerve her.
I am no outsider, son of Narssia. In truth, this is as much my home as it is your own. Your training of Seraphina is a most noble cause, simply because of what is to come, the dragon remarked, its voice and identity quickly becoming apparent to Sitedal and Seraphina.
Tamli, correct? Why come back so early after you left to confront the monster that slaughtered my innocent siblings? Seraphina questioned, hearing her father snort as she moved up to stand alongside him.
I return not as a victor but as one that is deeply troubled, young one, Tamli responded quietly, landing before them as the broken pieces of his sword lay clamped in his powerful maw. Sitedal, may we speak in private? I have discovered some things that are most unsettling . . .
Of course, Tamli. Seraphina, you may return to Dhran until I need you again.
Allowing her father and Tamli to walk past her, Seraphina hesitated before following after them, wondering what the hybrid had discovered that warranted such a meeting with the only dragon among them that knew of the dark process of cloning. It was obvious that whatever they discussed wasn't to be heard by her, something that worried her with all that had happened recently with the deaths of innocent dragons lost to a mad clone. How much more could their small band handle before it became too much? Darkness could easily swallow any of them, she realized with a heavy heart as Sitedal slipped back into the shadows of their underground shelter. Even those with prior experience could be turned, although their will would be far weaker and that would leave them more vulnerable to Corruption's influence. Shaking her head, she snorted and entered after them, trying to put to rest the thoughts that had sprung up in her mind. They would be fine, as long as Tamli stayed as strong as he was.
An endless stretch of sand spread out before him, so much so that he could see the tiny grains even to the horizon. Getting to his feet, he noticed first that he was fully clothed in a grey tunic, no evidence of any of his wounds having existed. Tanui blinked in confusion, suddenly hearing a sound coming from far away and began to move to see what it was. The more he walked, the further he saw nothing around him that would indicate life of any sort. Although this subconsciously worried him, he put the thoughts to rest and tried to call out to whatever he had heard. Despite his honest efforts to speak, no words came forth and he slowed to a stop, placing a hand on his throat as if to massage it.
My son?
Whirling around, Tanui took a step back in shock as his gaze met with that of his creator, the same man he had killed to protect the original template from death. Swallowing, he dropped his gaze, feeling unworthy of staring back at the one who had given him life and a purpose he had not fulfilled.
What is wrong, Tanui? Why do you hide your face from me?
Unable to answer the honest questioning from Amia, Tanui remained silent, watching the sand around him. A quiet laugh from his creator minutes later startled him and he jerked back, hissing. That sound could be heard from his throat however and he avoided his creator's gaze once more, ashamed of having shown disgust at the man who had made him into the monster he now was. It wasn't hard to see what he had become now after having driven Nethial and even Ladetis from him. Rejecting them had been hard but now . . . now he understood what being heartbroken did to a person.
You have failed your original assignment, thus I have no further use for you, Amia commented resentfully as he took a step back, pale sand rising up around Tanui. Your fate will be that of the ones that came before you . . .
Lifting his gaze, Tanui saw the area around him change into a darkened room, leaving him directly facing a large set of doors with delicate carvings on them. Attempting to move forward, he found that his wrists were now chained above his head, leaving him vulnerable to an attack and making him unable to defend himself as he usually did. Suddenly the sound of breathing reached him and he swallowed, straining his eyesight to see into the bleak nothingness before him as he was unsure just how much distance there was between the doors and where he was chained to a large, upright stone slab.
Growling under his breath, Tanui closed his eyes, trying to sense the enemies within the space with him, only to be aroused by the smallest pressure of a sword's tip touching his chest. Identical red irises stared him down as he felt the weapon move down to his right leg, near the kneecap. Enraged at the metal being rather close to where Tamli had tried to take his leg off at, Tanui forced himself into the mind of his aggressor, his fury consuming the man's mental defenses but not before the pain of having a blade ripped through his leg caught him off-guard. His own scream stunned him as he overwhelmed his attacker's mind and killed him, the pain and blood loss leaving him feeling weakened. Unable to protect himself, he retreated deep within himself as he heard hissing rise from within the chamber, thus informing him that there was plenty more attackers wanting to kill him.
A rush of wind brushed past him and then . . . .
Eyes snapped open as Tanui pulled himself out of his dream, trying to rise to a sitting position but getting shoved back onto the ground by a firm hand a moment later. Glancing around, he saw that he had somehow moved up off the beach and into the nearby forest around it, as evident by the tall trees blocking out much of the sun's light from above. Clenching his teeth to keep from screaming, he looked down to see a middle-aged man crouched at his right leg with a bone saw in hand. Letting a low snarl ripple from his throat, he carefully watched as the newcomer brushed aside mangled flesh below his knee to place the tool over crimson-stained cartilage, nausea rising up within him.
Turning his attention away from the wound before he made himself sick, Tanui's gaze fell to the man who was working to save his life, or so he hoped. Jet-black hair, cut close to the scalp, spiked in numerous spots as brown eyes narrowed in concentration, a red shirt darkly stained in some spots as black pants stopped at his ankles. Black tennis shoes completed the look while the clone noticed high cheekbones and a narrowed face as well as a lacking muscular frame. His eyes scanned the immediate area around him for something to bite into while the blood-slick bone was being sawed off but he saw nothing and growled under his breath.
"I'm just about done, buddy. You've been through a rough few hours and should be lucky I found you when I did."
The man's voice, unnaturally high-pitched, grated on Tanui's nerves and he clenched a fist, closing his eyes as he heard the first cut be made on his mangled leg. Tamli would pay when he found him, he was absolutely certain of that and it helped distract him while the newcomer tended to his wounds. Despite what Roylezn had tried to do to heal his side, the original hybrid had torn the wound right back open during their fight, Tanui realized as he lightly trailed a hand over the ragged, oozing flesh.
"What the-?"
Curiosity perked, Tanui craned his head up and watched as his leg, now missing from knee down, immediately begun to heal and seal up the gaping wound in the limb. He chuckled weakly, finding the back of his throat dry and coughed, falling back to the soft grass under him. Apparently the man heard him because a minute later a flask of water was at his lips and a hand was pressing against his back to get him to raise his head and drink.
Warm liquid rushed down his throat and he coughed again, spitting out a little bit of it as the stranger withdrew the precious resource, leaving Tanui to rise to a sitting position on his own. His hands trembled and he clenched them both into fists as he glanced down to see the stump of his leg, the new flesh a soft shade of pink compared to his ghostly white skin.
"Who . . ." Saliva coated the back of his throat and Tanui swallowed, trying again to speak. "Who are you?"
"The name's Nathan," the man replied, going over a leather bound pack Tanui hadn't seen laying a few feet away and placed the hand saw and flask into it. "I'm guessing by your appearance that you've had trouble before, if your previous wounds are anything to go by. How you got up that cliff with your leg like that is beyond me but it seems fate brought us together for a reason."
Nodding his head in agreement, Tanui sighed, thinking back to the dream he had while unconscious. He didn't remember climbing the cliff either but he had to have if he was now in the forest with the man who had saved his life.
"You didn't have to save me, you know," he whispered softly, eyes going to Nathan as the man turned to face him.
"Couldn't resist," Nathan chuckled as he crossed back over to Tanui, squatting down before him. "What are you exactly? You're not fully human, are you? I mean that wound healed up unnaturally fast . . ."
Tanui cleared his throat, wishing he could take another sip of that water to soothe the dryness of his mouth. "A hybrid, actually. Part dragon . . . although it's not expressed as you might think it would be."
"Interesting."
Glancing at the stub of his leg again, a sense of brief pity rose up within Tanui. He thought back to Nethial getting her own legs burnt with acid from Ladetis . . . only to force the memory away as he shook his head. There was no time for regret or concern about those weaklings. Ridding himself of his dragon and his lover had been for the best, a dark corner of his mind whispered softly as he relaxed his hands and felt the soft grass around him.
"So . . . a human-dragon hybrid all the way out here, huh? Not that it's any of my business but why here? I'm guessing a fight went wrong judging by those wounds."
Unable to control himself, Tanui laughed at just how close the man was to the actual truth, only to double over coughing the next minute. His lungs felt as if they were on fire and, as the fit slowly came to a stop, he wrapped his arms across his chest. Trembling in exhaustion, he gently laid back down on the grass, realizing how close he had come to dying during the day.
"I never did get your name," Nathan remarked as Tanui sighed, rolling over onto his right side to avoid putting pressure on his healing ribs.
"Tanui."
Closing his eyes, Tanui hesitated to submit himself to sleeping, fearing whatever nightmares may come. His mind had been strangely quiet during his time spent awake with Nathan so he was almost certain he would pay for it during his unconscious slumber. Having not gotten a chance to recover from the strain of keeping two separate illusions active at the same time, he knew he had to sleep but his uncertainty kept him awake.
"I'll see what I can do about working on those other wounds tomorrow, bud. You honestly look terrible, although your pale skin suggests little time spent in the sun."
Growling under his breath, Tanui relaxed his arms and allowed himself to move into a more natural position, working his way into the bunched form he had adjusted to while living with Rados and his family. Tension in his neck made him lift his left hand to gently rub at the area, only to find the warm touch of Nathan's hand over his own within seconds.
"You don't have to sleep like that you know. Whatever the conditions were before you met me, their gone now. You're free to do as you wish, including how you want to sleep," Nathan whispered softly in his ear before removing his hand, the sound of crunching grass indicating he was walking away.
Determined to prove the man wrong, Tanui lowered his hand back onto the grass and curled up tighter, feeling the muscles in his shoulders twinge in protest. He had grown used to sleeping like this, from his imprisonment to being with the hybrid's son. A sore neck meant nothing to a fitting rest, which he desperately needed.