Chapter 5: When fear takes over oneself

After some time, Darkstalker can see who Ayirn was waiting for. Looking at the sky of nothingness one more time, he spots a new yellow light in the distance. Curious, he asks the dragoness, calling her and pointing at the new object.

- "Ayirn."

- "Uthu kasarh kenib heij ajrk? Zo ajek Xamirh, u ejurh dolmukaran pacius Zy."

Once again, the nightwing is facing a sentence he can't translate, but thanks to his mind reading, he can see who that light is. A yellow great dragon like her, who seems to be associated with the name 'Xamirh'. Wanting to know more, he speaks to her of the name.

- "Xamirh?"

- "Ko, Xamirh." Replies the dragoness in approval, making him wonder if 'ko' is a word for that concept, similar to 'yes'.

Unexpectedly, Ayirn takes a big step closer to the night dragon, curls her tail around him, and unfolds her mystical wing over him. Facing a confused dragon, she speaks to him in a confident and serious tone.

- "Surh arhu iumin, Zy wuteri prietan uthu Darkstalker."

New feelings are strengthen in Ayirn's mind. There are expectation, anticipation and satisfaction as he is at her side, and soon he will be with all of them. The deeper will of her is also burning brighter, his essences drawing her attention like he is the key to something too important.

I must must be careful, I thought I could get what I want from them, but it seems they are just as starved for answers to their problems as I am. And if they decide to force me… I will have no other choice but to do as ordered.

Darkstalker can now see the shape of a dragon coming faster and faster until it starts circling around them, creating a tornado by the sheer size and speed of himself being enhanced by magic. Slowing down at each turn, the dragon finally does a landing that shakes the ground.

Now in front of them, the nightwing can really see Xamirh for the first time. A yellow great dragon slightly bigger than Ayirn, having a chain of fins at each side from head to tail, and four large horns like the dragoness at his side.

But what truly marks the night dragon is not his body but his expression, a display of seriousness without any flaw nor any mercy that could give to who is facing him an escape. Diving into his mind only adds to that, for now he only seems to think in a very rigid way, focusing solely on some important points and not being distracted by anything else.

Looking at him to judge his strangeness and if he is the reason he was called out, Xamirh then turns away to speak at Ayirn. The dragoness isn't surprised at all by what he represents and his power, standing to him as an equal while both have respect for the other.

- "Heij ajek yl ueris nestoq uthu Ayirn, lieju ajek yl kehusit ust uthutias tyrun?"

- "Ko Xamirh, Zotias tekel ajek Darkstalker."

- "Darkstalker…"

The yellow dragon looks at the black one again, thinking more about what potential he has than who he is. Curiosity for the new power and essences he could use appears in his mind almost like a hidden hunger for what he is staring at, but dissipates as Ayirn prepares to soar again, urging both dragons to do the same.

And so the three dragon are now headed to what Darkstalker imagines is where they live together. But he can't shake off the bad feeling he has about this, the look and interest Xamirh gave him, making him remember a bit of Vigilance's authority and Scorpion's greed. Then a question occurs to him.

Who will be at my side? Who will defend me if one of these dragons tries to do anything bad to me? The nightwing watches patiently Ayirn and her behaviour near Xamirh, she doesn't seem to oppose him nor to be at odd with him. Of course she wouldn't, she must know him and work with him on a daily basis, it's obvious she will take his side more often than your. I'm a complete stranger to her, and she can't really understand me.

Fear creeps inside the nightwing, making him be almost too cautious as he starts to think about an escape plan. With both dragons near me, straight up fleeing would be futile as Xamirh can be very fast and Ayirn has more endurance than me, and they might have others abilities I don't know about. Watching for anything that could hide him in the distance, he finds nothing. Not that I could hide for long with my strange essences radiating uncontrollably.

Calm down Darkstalker, calm down. I will have to wait, the closer we are from our destination, the more potential opportunities there will be. Beside, it's irrational to fear they would do anything unpleasant to me during the first moment we arrive. They would have done it here if they wanted to.

Still a bit shaken by fear and cautious for his life, the nightwing continues to fly in silence alongside the two great dragons…

The three dragons are now close enough to the great dragons' home that they start to see a great pyramid among a multitude of towers, but not all of them burn at the top. Darkstalker focuses on the greatest building. This may be where they live, it may be strange and different, but it has the same aura of grandeur any palace has.

Checking his foresight, the nightwing realizes the pulse is not one, it is a group of many less powerful pulses on their own coming from distinct places. So the power they have does not have a unique source, good to know…

Approaching the pyramid, he spots three stages with an entrance to each. The building in itself seems a bit simple from the exterior, no decoration nor anything really standing out if not for the top emitting light like a beacon, maybe the insides will be different…

A moment later, Xamirh and Ayirn land on the third stage, the top where one can access to the beacon and its power. Darkstalker soon follows and is still being cautious, staying behind the two great ones. We'll see if anyone does act on bad intentions, I won't hesitate to try to escape this time.

Both dragons settle and turn to face him, with the yellow one on the left and the blue and green one on the right. The nightwing carefully lays down his body and relaxes a bit, still trying to stare at both of them, but focusing more on the left one.

- "Darkstalker, konles. Lieju heij uthu moneos?"

This time, the night dragon has no choice but to stand in silence while Xamirh faces him directly. He was always confident, even in the face of the queens due to his powers, but now that most of them are gone, there is little he can do, especially when the one in front of him radiates far more power than any royal in Pyrrhia's history.

- "Yth hefum tho surh jukin, aqerh ythe sif asurh kalup muesine"

Ayirn's words breaks the great dragon's focus, shifting his thought into ones that are more pleasant to look at as her own mind seems to genuinely care for the black dragon. Facing a curious and moderately confused one, the dragoness tells him an answer to his doubt.

"Zo ajek u dolmukaran owhur sif alm ust ythe. Zy tunis zikos Zotias moekani ueris, kes Zo muka olmukara, ikul tho huko."

The imposing yellow dragon takes a moment to think about what has been said. Darkstalker can see his being trying to be associated with their specie in Xamirh's mind, and that's when he get glimpses of 'normal' dragons. So this world has or had normal dragons, and not only the five great ones.

- "Lieju uthu huko uthutias olmukara Darkstalker?"

The nightwing freezes, the dragon's words aren't even harsh nor is Xamirh, but having once again his attention… It makes him feel vulnerable. Choosing to not take any risk, he only says two words.

- "…Huko Xamirh."

- "Lieju uthu surh misyt?"

The more serious tone of the of the great dragon makes Darkstalker understand his last question, "Is he certain?". But as he takes time to find what to reply, Xamirh raises his left paw and infuses it with essences, ready to do a supernatural action.

The bright aura around his claws, acting like a flame, scares the night dragon as the great one takes a step closer and leans his head. His eyes are fully focused now, piercing trough his being with their stare. With a resonating and superior voice, the yellow one tells his next words.

"Dueti yihe uthu vecik yl aeistu, yth tunis somul uthutias kumista solmaw heij uthu huko."

The young one recoils in shock as the scene he is the center of unfolds. What is he thinking?! Looking around him in panic, but not for too long as he must keep an eye on Xamirh, he lets his fear take the better of him. I-I need to escape this place, now!

In his urge to escape the one he feel threatened by, Darkstalker hastily turns back and stands at the entrance, one talon-step away from leaving by flight. What remains on his face is barely controlled terror as he stares at Xamirh with utter focus in case he makes a move against him.

Seeing that, Ayirn puts herself before her equal and looks at the frightened one with an unreadable expression. Watching her mind, the nightwing is too stressed to come to a logical conclusion. Instead, he deduces that the dragoness took his side, ready to follow the plan the great dragon has for him.

- "Darkstalker, boun uthutius."

- "Step back." Replies coldly the night dragon to hide his anger and to try to regain what little control he can.

The great dragoness is annoyed by that refusal, cracking her emotionless stance as she directly tries to make herself understood.

- "Darkstal-"

- "Silence! I don't need more of your words, now you are going to listen to me! Step back and let me in peace, or I leave…"

Ayirn appears frustrated, she is now ignorant of what Darkstalker says like he is of her words. She would gladly try to resonate with him and calm down the situation, but she can't as he will listen only to his tongue.

Sighing, the great dragoness muster her strength for what she is about to do, he won't escape. As an aura form around Ayirn's front paw, showing the power her essences give them, the nightwing turns and jumps from the entrance. A moment of falling later, he fully deploys his wings and uses his momentum to start flying very close to the ground.

Walking to the end of the room she is on, the mystical one stands up and extends her front talons as far as she can from each other. Watching the black dragon flying far from her and below, she waits for the right time.

When essences are on the verge of bursting at her claws and all her talons' muscles are stretched out to their limits, the great dragon makes a single, powerful clap joining her two paws with a loud bang, unleashing a giant blast of energy succeeding in devouring Darkstalker and all the ground below him, making the night dragon crash.

When the blast evaporates, all can witness the pitiful state the nightwing is in, paralysed and unconscious as well as wounded by the cruelty of his forced landing...