Chapter 66-Resolution

Narssia was initially in shock as Jormundur's neck snapped but as Geer dropped the dead dragon and started towards her she realized that her training in the past had been for this very event that she was now faced with deciding how to overcome. Letting a low snarl rise from the jaws once belonging to her as she overwhelmed Arxa temporarily, she forced herself onto her feet and backed away from the blind scale-flier.

"Geer, stay back," she warned, gathering the darkness within herself as Windra had taught her to during her visit to the past with the same son who was now dead.

'What are you doing?' Arxa snarled faintly, fighting to reclaim the control over Narssia that Corruption had held for years. 'He just saved our life but you insist on driving me away . . .'

Shaking her head, Narssia snorted in mock amusement at the dark spirit's question. 'Not driving you away exactly but destroying your influence on me,' she growled back as she closed her eyes.

Arxa's stunned silence confirmed her thoughts and Narssia hurried her pace, trying to find the inner peace she had latched onto during the time spent with Windra. Finally realizing the action she had to take, she flared her wings and rose into the air before unleashing hundreds of tiny spikes of corrupted malice from within her body. Although the channeling of the darkness into a form she could work with took most of her strength, she welcomed the feeling she would have once the evil magic was purged from every pore of her world-weary frame . . .

The sound of rushed movement around her woke Narssia later, the painful glare of a blue light hanging above her bringing her into consciousness fully. She reluctantly glanced around to find she was in a small room with several other dragons laying on straw cots similar to the one her underbelly was resting overtop of. Blinking, she felt a strange buzzing within her mind but ignored the odd sensation and focused her gaze on the scale-flier closest to her to discover it was Sitedal, his left foreleg and back heavily bandaged as a gentle snore rising from his direction confirmed he was still asleep as she was unable to see his eyes without lifting her head and possibly causing more damage than she wanted. Her neck was deeply bruised, she could feel that much, but it concerned her little as she watched her son sleep peacefully.

"You don't have to pretend you are still asleep," came the quiet rasp of a she-dragon inside her mind that made her first think of Arxa and so she snarled softly, only to be hissed at a moment later for disturbing the peace.

"Who are you?" She asked, willing to take a risk by opening her mind to the strange dragon that had questioned her at first.

"The name is Verdra and while others may have concerns over treating you, you are still an injured dragon . . ."

Intrigued by the contact with Verdra, having never met the dragoness before except while under Arxa's control, Narssia glanced around to see if she could find the one she was communicating with. Her search only turned up more injured and hurt dragons and she sighed dejectedly, smoke rising from her nostrils.

Lifting her head, Narssia turned to see what wounds she had received herself during the conflict. Before she did, however, her thoughts turned to a different subject that had to be resolved. Prior to Arxa joining in the battle, she had suggested and created a small area of magic that could protect the eggs until the outcome was figured out and, now, she suspected what side had been the victor. Allowing the magical shield around her new offspring to fade slowly as to conserve her own strength, the two glistening eggshells gradually appeared next to her and she pressed them up against her side with her tail.

Feeling her neck twinge with pain, she remembered Jormundur engaging Arxa in direct conflict and knew that bruises were almost expected to come from near-death moments like what she had been through. To be so close to dying had terrified her but she had, at least, hidden her secret knowledge of how to control and manipulate the darkness within her until the right time when she could release it to finish what so many others had tried to accomplish on their own.

"What became of the clones?" Narssia asked softly, hesitant to know the answer for fear of what Verdra might tell her.

"Vaporized into ash, all of them . . ."

From out of the corner of her eye, Narssia caught a glimpse of a black dragoness walking over, its amethyst irises sparkling in the light that managed to keep the chamber semi-lit. Pulling the eggs closer to her, she hissed softly, baring her teeth in warning. After everything Arxa and Corruption had put her through, letting her future offspring be taken from her wasn't going to happen as long as she was conscious enough to keep them safe.

"Relax, Narssia. I'm not after the eggs, especially after what happened to my own . . ." Verdra hummed in contentment as Narssia gradually lowered her guard and allowed the black she-dragon to walk over.

Curiosity perked at what had happened to Verdra, Narssia decided to question her on the details. "I don't mean to pry but what happened to your offspring?"

Verdra quietly snorted, eyes distant as she turned to examine Sitedal's injuries. "The clone came and slaughtered two while they were hatching. It was the remaining one that became Tanui's partner until the decay proved too much and the psychotic hybrid copy broke the bond."

Narssia was stunned to silence for a moment, remembering Arxa ripping to shreds Ladetis's wings as punishment for his failed rider's constant mistakes. She had seen the fledgling with her own eyes but never thought on it until she had broken free from the darkness herself. Telling Verdra the truth would only hurt her and she had done enough damage to last a lifetime anyway from simply giving in to her own anger and rejection and causing Corruption to form the monster that she had been known as for years.

"I'm the reason this entire war was started," Narssia whispered as she lowered her head to rest on her front legs. "If I hadn't lost myself in my misery after Vanz died then none of this heartache would have ever happened."

"Despite what has occurred, you are not the one to blame."

The sudden calming voice of Geer seemed to ease her fears and Narssia sighed, glancing behind her to see him slowly limping towards her. His blue scales were darkened in places and she noticed several large cuts along his belly and sides. A part of her felt pity for him as she knew of his inability to see, a defect created even before his hatching, but the lingering remnants of Corruption's darkness seemed to scoff at her compassion for the blind dragon.

"Geer, you should have told me you were coming," Verdra hummed softly as he stopped beside Narssia and placed the tip of his tail on her flank to steady himself.

"I was only released recently," he admitted with a low growl as Narssia glanced between the two, occasionally finding her attention drawn to her son. "After what happened, I knew I had to come see Narssia. The death of a sibling is terrible but I can only sympathize with her over the demise of Jormundur, her own child."

"Geer, how long has it been? I don't remember much after you . . ." Unable to bare the thought of admitting she was talking to the dragon who had killed her son, Narssia simply let the words fade into nothing as her attention was perked at knowing how long it had been since Arxa had plagued her last.

Snorting softly, Geer turned his head towards her as he quietly replied, "Two days now since the war was decided in our favor with the destruction of the clone army and Corruption's malice erased . . ."

The response should have calmed her fears but Narssia still flinched at hearing how long it had been since she had broken free of Corruption's hold over her. Even with the memory still fresh in her mind of letting loose the massive blast of dark energy that should have killed her after all she had been through, it was still hard to believe that the malice which had plagued her for so long was finally destroyed.

"Verdra," Geer growled softly, directing his words to his half-sister as he lifted his tail away from Narssia's weary body. "If you don't mind, release Narssia from intensive care. Her wounds are healing nicely and I will take full responsibly for her until other measures can be arranged . . ."

Narssia wondered what wounds Geer had referred to but silently chided herself for doubting the dragon who had saved her life. Although it still hurt her to think of Jormundur becoming consumed by Corruption's power, she was forced to accept the truth if only to be comfortable with the dragon who had killed her greyling son standing so close to her. Not that she didn't feel something when he addressed her directly but it was difficult with him being unable to physically see her.

"As you wish," Verdra snorted after a moment. "I hope you know what you're doing. She's still damaged, Geer."

Geer sighed, turning to help Narssia stand as her limbs felt rubbery and unable to support her weight. Now she understood why he had said she was wounded. The injuries were both of physical and mental origin, creating a vast scarring that stretched deep into her very identity. Despite what she might say or do, it would be the legacy of Arxa and Corruption that remained with her to define who she had been during the darkest time of her life.

Stepping off the straw that she had been resting on, Narssia fell against Geer's side and immediately jerked away, afraid that the blind dragon would sense her conflicting thoughts and emotions. Although she was now free to be herself once again, it was hard to keep herself from dwelling on the negative that had weighted her down for years. The darkness had defined her when she had isolated herself from the rest of their kind and it was challenging to figure out how to adapt back into the society she had left.

"Come with me," Geer hummed gently before he begun to walk, brushing his snout against her neck in comfort as Narssia hesitantly shied away from the contact.

Uncertain of what the future held for her, Narssia reluctantly followed after him, careful to keep her distance as she wondered why new feelings had arisen in her that matched what she had felt for Mirage and even Raxmon. Shaking her head, she sighed as the realization of what her emotions were telling her became obvious. There was no way she would ever see herself as worthy of having another dragon love her but it seemed her subconscious did not share similar views on the subject.

Time seemed to have no meaning once he had collapsed during talking with Nethial after Tanui's death but Tamli slowly found his way back to conscious thought. At first, it was only muddled fragments of words that reached him but he could eventually hear the exact words spoken about him as awareness returned in fragments.

". . . It should not be long before he awakens, child."

"But he sustained serious injuries during the fight," a voice complained in reply, its tone slowly reminding Tamli of Raoul as he gradually regained consciousness.

A low moan escaped him as Tamli blinked open his eyes to find his surroundings vastly different then where he had collapsed after Tanui's self-inflicted death. Unlike the forest which had been the backdrop for the fight between clone and original hybrid, the area he was now in was sterile and mainly white. He suspected it might be part of Aurelia's own facility given he had little experience with where the woman worked deep in the vast complex of the Compound.

His fingers twitched subconsciously and he glanced down to see that his clothes had been taken off and bands of white cloth had been stretched across much of his body. From the burns to the scratches left by the clone's staff, Tamli understood why those that had been treating him had been so cautious. Even with his unnatural healing rate, it would take time for him to recover.

Lifting his gaze to see Raoul, he was surprised to see a dragon he was unfamiliar with standing next to his son. From the color of its scales, Tamli was unsure if the scale-flier was dark blue or black but its piercing grey eyes reminded him of Nethial.

"Raoul," he rasped, hearing in his own voice how fragile he still was from the fight, "who is that dragon?"

"I believe he came at the request of Nethial, father," Raoul calmly responded, gazing at him as Tamli turned his focus to his bandaged body once more.

"That still doesn't explain-"

"Peace, Dragonsbane, I mean you no harm. It is true that it was at the request of Nethial that I come but it was also to fulfill a promise I made to the one who trained me," the dragon hummed, the deepness to its voice betraying how young it looked. "My name is Cambre and I was both raised and trained by Attor after the Battle of Corruption."

A look of confusion clouded Tamli's irises for a moment before he whispered, "I see . . ."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Mother did what she felt was right for a change." Raoul crossed his arms, walking over to stand protectively next to Tamli.

"Those enslaved by darkness can be redeemed. You just have to give them a chance," Tamli muttered softly, averting his gaze as his thoughts went back to what Nethial had revealed to him after Tanui's death.

His own first love, the very one he had mourned over after her death on the battlefield against Corruption had connected with Tanui so deeply as to make love to the psychotic hybrid. Snarling softly under his breath, Tamli shook his head, still unable to understand her reasoning for ripping away the very fabric of their relationship as it had kept them so close even after his own disappearance and Raoul's birth. Where had Nethial gone to cause her to forsake the promises they had made to each other? He knew from the time he met her that their lives were destined to intertwine, but it was possible that his own abilities had brought about her withdrawal after he left with Amia. Bitter, forsaken by the one she had loved . . . Was that truly how he had left her to become so angry and distraught with him? The darkness had to have discovered her feelings and enhanced them, hoping to force her into breaking during the thousands of years she was wrapped within its presence.

"Father?" A light squeeze of his hand pulled Tamli back to his senses and he blinked, averting his gaze from Raoul as he angrily wiped away the few tears that had fallen during his assessment of what had driven Nethial to seek out the clone as a partner in which to confide.

"Sorry," he muttered softly, glancing over at Cambre as he sensed movement nearby and unknowingly tensed at realizing who it was that was coming to see him.

"Come, child. We should give your father some time to himself." Cambre growled, motioning towards the door to the room as Raoul reluctantly let go of Tamli's hand and took a step back.

"Try and recover your strength," Raoul whispered in reassurance before following after Cambre and leaving the room, allowing Tamli a chance to let out the breath he had been subconsciously holding.

Several minutes passed before Tamli turned his head to the door that opened into his room, still sensing the consciousness of another person right outside. "They're gone now. It's fine for you to enter."

"How did you know it was me?" Nethial asked as she eased open the door and slipped inside, trying to make as little sound as possible.

"Who else has a metallic click with each footstep? You, my dear, are not good at being subtle," Tamli commented as he allowed himself a brief smile at seeing her relatively unharmed from the fighting.

Nethial chuckled, walking over to him and stopping right next to his arm. "You know I didn't want you to find out about . . . that. It's just I got caught up in the heat of the moment and I . . ."

"I understand," Tamli whispered as he painfully lifted his right hand and grabbed one of her own. "How long has it been? It feels like only hours but I suspect that isn't right."

"It's been two days. There has been extra security around both you and . . . her but supplies are starting to run out and most of the dragons are still injured . . ."

Tamli noticed the desperation creeping up in her voice and he tightened his grip on her hand, clenching his teeth to mask the pain of further working his tired body. "Calm down, Nethial. What about Uria? He should be leading those that are not as injured out to search for food . . ."

Her immediate silence worried him at first but he ignored it, thinking she was lost in her own thoughts. Glancing up at her, Tamli noticed her expression was solemn, mournful as though something had happened during the time he had been unconsciousness. He had felt the pain of a dragon dying during the fight with Tanui but it couldn't be that their leader following Makiar's own death had perished . . .

"He can't lead them. Tamli, Uria was killed during the attack. Several dragons confirmed his body was surrounded by a ring of clones, each one dead but not before they overwhelmed the red scale-flier." Her voice was gentle, softer than normal and Tamli noticed her gaze had fallen to observing his bandaged body. "Even with your advanced healing rate those wounds still aren't mended?"

"For my wounds to heal, I need to be conscious," he remarked, relaxing his grip on her hand. "I still can't believe he's dead . . ."

Tamli was startled when Nethial suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the bed. Bracing himself against her delicate frame, he let her hand go and shakily stabilized his position on the floor as he found his footing. Once his balance was steady, Nethial backed away from him and levitated a black cloak into the room.

"Get dressed," she commanded as she shoved the material into his arms, averting her gaze from his wounded body while he tossed on the robe to cover the multitude of bandages. "It's time you presented yourself as a leader before your new followers."

Tamli hesitated before responding, his gaze captured on her necklace as he realized it was the crest of the Order from their time in paradise. "But I don't want-"

"Hush, Tamli. The dragons deserve to see you in your current state, to know that their new ruler is also a victim of the conflict as they were. Having lived through a change of power as I did when Vanz assumed the throne, I know how important first impressions are, especially with your dual nature. You need to appeal to both humans and dragons alike, not that you had any trouble doing that back in paradise . . ."

Nethial finally glared at him in impatience and Tamli sighed as he finished adjusting his new outfit to make sure it fit properly. Nodding her head in approval, she started towards the door, only to pause when he did not follow after her lead.

"Anything wrong?" She asked as she glanced behind her to see Tamli had not moved since putting on the cloak.

"N-no."

The reply was hesitant, making it seem as though Tamli was covering up something he refused to speak about. Concerned, Nethial turned around to see him angrily wiping away tears, his eyes closed as his hands trembled slightly. As she watched him, the realization of what he had gone through hit her and she softly gasped. Finca, his beloved dragon and soul mate had been killed by the very creature he had, unknowingly, created. Tanui was him, the worst parts of him, but they basically were the same individual. Amia had known this and had used the clone to deal him the worst injury of all by killing the one he loved more than life itself.

"Tamli, I'm . . . I'm sorry. I didn't realize . . ."

Collecting himself, he cleared his throat and opened his eyes to see her slowly retreat. "It's fine. You were not aware of my pain. I had hoped to be given time to mourn her loss but if you feel it is better for me to jump right into being the leader of the Compound's dragons then so be it."

Nethial continued to retreat until she backed into a wall, staying where she was as Tamli soon walked past, exiting the room with a swish of the cloak around him as he gathered his hands in front of him. He didn't expect her to understand why he had acted the way he had but seeing her brought back the image of Tanui standing near Finca's dead body, staff in hand as he cradled his right arm. Until he could put those memories out of his mind, he would distance himself from her.