Chapter 15: Being more open to another before it is time for a Test
Marching trough the corridors, the great dragoness and the young one take some time to arrive at their destination. Wearing the crude robe Akhanta made for him, the nightwing let himself be distracted by it as he walks. Thinking of a plan now won't get him anywhere, and dwelling on complex feelings will be tedious for his mind.
Such clothes was weird to wear at first, but now? He is starting to get used to it, even feeling a bit more secure despite the clear limits of the piece of fabric, it is better than his softer skin and flesh after all. But not the best, light blue is pretty colour but not one that reflects me, black would be more appropriate for as a nightwing.
Looking at his body confirms his need to wear at least something. Such little veins spreading between his scales making his skin bluish and tender only worry him, so hiding that can at least stop him from panicking at the sight of his own body. It won't solve the problem, but a dress will cover his being until he completely matures or the five finish his… transformation.
Pushing open the two giant doors, the great dragoness and her smaller one enter in what is supposedly her room, again. Settling in the large central pool, the dark blue giant hasn't lost sight of the young one, who she watches over more than ever before since the last conflict they had. Lowering her titanic form and relaxing, Akhanta tries to be on a similar level to Darkstalker.
Finally rising his head to fully look at her, the nightwing can't stop himself from being conflicted, his face expressing doubt like he did at her sight after the betrayal, but this time, he takes more of the blame.
Why must she look at me? I guess it's my fault, now she must be wary of me, and will no doubt report my behaviour to the others.
Watching her mind carefully, the seer finds out the priority is to take care of him, her helpfulness and strange kindness not having diminished at all. The night dragon sighs, tired of all thoughts coming from reflecting on his last mistake…
- "Darkstalker, surik."
Presenting her wing for him to climb it, the giant entity stays welcoming and content despite the young one's regret and conflict. Hesitating, he refuses the offer and stays where he is, laying on the floor to further show his choice. Retrieving her wing, the dark blue dragoness respects that and turns her head a bit, letting him a break from her full attention as she go to take two tablets and starts drawing.
A moment later, the two large tablets are handed to him, the first being the one he has written his story over, and the second containing a well made drawing of him from side view, titled with a series of symbols he doesn't understand. Looking closer at the second one, the nightwing sees an altered version of his form, with another pair of twisted horns, his line of icy scales branching into little spirals, his wings bearing veins that follow his long fingers, and his tail ending in a seven-branched star.
Confused, the night dragon drops the tablet before an idea comes to his mind. Looking one last time at it, Darkstalker now watches over the great dragoness. It is curious how she has two pairs of straight horns and a spiralling one, spiralling markings on her body, a web of veins in her wings…
And as the nightwing step to the side, he can better see her tail whose end is a finned spear.
Strange, do all five of them have these traits? Is her drawing of me the form I will have?
Watching the young one looking at her, Akhanta curls her tail and leans her head, eyes switching between him and the tablet. Seeing her approaching, the night dragon tries to answer her question by presenting her the drawing she did. He can see in her mind she understands his confusion more, but not enough. To help her, Darkstalker undresses and puts down the dress to show and point all over his naked body.
Seeing him designating his mutating form, the dark blue giant realizes what he wants to talk about. Going out of the pool and seeking some scrolls from many big shelves for a time, she comes back with a dozen of them in her wet paws. Waterproof scrolls? What a useful invention…
As the giant dragoness unrolls five of the twelve, the smaller one climbs on the pool's border to better see them. Each depicts in colour one of the great dragon in his or her different life stages, from dragonethood to adulthood to what they are today. And from these drawings, the nightwing realizes all five have gained similar things as they grow to their last stage.
A new element develop at the end of their tail, spiralling motifs appears on their skin and they get a new pair of horns. Looking again at his body, the night dragon barely sees a sort of little bud forming at the end of his tail. A moment later, Akhanta's tail enters his field of view as she folds her body to be at his level.
"Darkstalker, uthu eiuf nolmytu whutythe, ikul ashek olina."
- "Akhanta…"
Trying to show to the great dragoness his worry about his frail body, the seer rubs his skin with his claws, and then scratches it, creating a little wound where purple blood drops. Slightly shocked, the giant entity extends her paw and uses her essences. Focusing on his cut, she heals him in a few seconds. As she finishes, she realizes what the young one worries about, and expresses a bit of sadness and pity for him.
- "Darkstalker…"
- "I am fragile, and I will still be for a long time Akhanta." Says the nightwing looking down.
Not understanding his words but understanding the feelings he shows, the dark blue dragoness touches his head from below with her tail. Annoyed, the young one is obligated to straighten his head and look at the dragoness in the eyes.
- "Uthutias ueris asurh ejurh, jivun prietan ythe, Zu yenuv higus iole."
After hardening her will, the dark blue giant turns back to walk to the entrance, but not before saying a few words to the nightwing.
"Ignum yth toijyl."
Without complaining, the young one starts to follow her, but not before putting the dress on himself again, preferring to have something protecting his skin.
Leaving the room, the two dragons walk inside the Pyramid for a while, going through the old, cold and sometimes very long corridor. The night dragon can see again many scenes being drawn on the stone, but one retains his attention more than the others. It presents the dragon kingdom and its habitants panicking as its edges and the lands far away are becoming… sterile, lifeless, almost turning to stone.
But before young one can truly think about it, he and his caretaker stumble upon Kraydirn who is reading and taking notes from various texts, but upon seeing his kin and the small one beside her, the great dragon halts his activity. When he speaks, it is with a calm and somewhat affective voice many would think impossible to have for a being like him.
- "Woukos Akhanta, yth moxon yl temylkes-yl surh nestoq uthu, kes taslea u elfit."
- "Ko, Darkstalker surh nestoq yth kes jivun ythetias iseni tekranas."
Surprised, the huge and curious dragon approaches and lays down in front of the smaller nightwing, staring at him but not being too serious. In a lower voice, the somewhat frightening beast for the little one speaks.
- "Heij bismei tekra khutey kes Akhanta? Kes ujaie?"
Knowing the nightwing can't answer, the great dragoness gives her own.
- "Iumin, thotias kumista surh olumys, ikul iole iceist aljaln mylmyl kes kanen tey alm-ythe."
- "Yth gynhim. Lieju yth linf ifyat, yth tunis wilute tho oij sif fuste thotias alkara tefiku"
- "Uthu tunis Kraydirn, uthu tunis..."
Ending their discussion, the two great dragons walks away with the young one between them…
Arriving at the end of the Pyramid, the two giants prepare to fly, and in an instant, jump with enough strength to kickstart their flight and unleash a powerful wind behind them. But the nightwing has no such luck, his back not being to muster the power necessary. Still, not stopping at his failed jump, the night dragon runs and jumps despite his dress, again…
And again...
Gaining more momentum at each one, he ends up soaring without having to draw that much essences from his being. Catching up to the two titans, Darkstalker regains a part of his confidence, revitalized by the recent use of his body and the freedom of flying. But still having doubts, the seer focus on hearing the thoughts of the great dragons.
While he is more familiar with Akhanta, now is a good opportunity to know more about Kraydirn. The black and white dragon is truly surprising, with his power, his essences inside him that rival Ayirn if not overcome her, and the raw desire and feelings they create in such a being's mind. And yet, the feathered giant can control all of that turmoil, appearing calm and collected, and even kind to him.
I haven't seen him a lot, but he does make good impressions, even if time will tell and so will his action toward me. But for now he seems good, and if I can gain his support, all the better…
Landing near a burning tower, the three dragons take a small break to recover, each in their own way, with Kraydirn positioning himself, standing up on two talons and partially unfolding his feathered wings. And while he breathes calmly, undisturbed like his power, Akhanta circles the young one with her long body, staying closer to him and watching over in case he needs help.
At the center, Darkstalker doesn't refuses such behaviour, even if it is not like he can truly stop the dark blue dragoness from taking care of him. Resting on the hard stone, the nightwing will have to do with that lack of comfort. Watching Kraydirn, the seer suddenly has a new question popping in his mind.
Why would such powerful beings have to rest, even a little bit? We haven't travelled that much…
Such a train of thoughts is, however, interrupted as the dressed smaller one feels the environment getting colder. Confused, he finds the answer as he spots the source of all these new essences spreading and altering the place, the dragon of black and white himself.
While he is covered in black feathers, his aura and power starting to be unleashed really make the great one look more and more like an icewing, a godlike icewing.
As the great dragoness uncurls her body and takes a step back to let him some place, Darkstalker is now facing, despite the distance, the great one of ice and snow. Rising his front talon like a torch with all the essences it holds, He stares at the smaller one with power and authority before calling him by name in a loud and harsh voice.
- "Darkstalker."
Rendered more shy by the event, with the world around him gradually turning into a freezing desert, the young one nonetheless makes a few steps forward, while the dark blue dragoness makes one as well, supporting him from behind.
- "Darkstalker, ashek oulnav."
Hearing these words, the nightwing regains faith in him as he prepares to stand the test Kraydirn is making. Taking one more step, Darkstalker stares back at the incarnation of winter, showing far less fear than before and feeding his inner sun, an act affecting oneself that the great dragon understand...