Chapter 3: Cut in his running

Arriving at the new tower, Darkstalker realizes it is basically the same as the first one, with the same rods being consumed and creating the intense white fire. The only important difference is the lesser amount of damage on it, and that now there are three new lights in the distance. The nightwing sight, there is nothing else, only this damn tower he spent who know how many time to travel to it. What is he hoping for? What will he do? Go from one tower to another, until he finds one that is recent enough it might have beings around it...

This is getting ridiculous! I won't lay down to that level. Surely, there must something, a hint that could lead me to the solution, right? Landing on the polished rock to stop wasting more energy, the black dragon thinks deeply.

Focus Darkstalker, focus! If I let my emotions get the better of me, I won't be able to solve anything. More towers are in the distance, maybe there are more numerous the closer someone approaches a center. Beside, whoever built these building couldn't have done it without many other ones.

Looking at the new light over the horizon for a moment, he is then hit by what his foresight is seeing now. The wave, the pulse, it seems to originate from far away, but in this direction. The nightwing takes the time to calm down his feelings to better think. So I am a step closer to the answer. If going to next the light is only a step as well, then it is nothing but a test patience and endurance. If I want to succeed, I'll need to rest at the right time to recover my energy, and keep my moral high enough to continue.

I can do this, I can do this… But sleeping here is what I need the most before my next travel.

Relaxing himself as much as he can, Darkstalker closes his eyes, hoping to fall asleep quickly. However, it will take a very long moment before he does…

- "Are you having fun?" Says a familiar voice to Darkstalker.

- "Who is there?" Replies the nightwing.

- "You don't recognize me? I'm your love." As the voice finishes her sentence, the dragoness he wanted to live his life with appears before him.

Reacting with surprise quickly devolving into disdain, Darkstalker replies with a tone he would have never used for her in the past.

- "You aren't my love if you condemn me to this fate. It's over between us, Clearsight. And you better not stay on my path or I will do what is necessary."

- "Acting so tough when you're hopeless, what a happy fool you make. Make no mistake, there is no way out of this. And you want to know why? Because you deserve it."

The twisted smile on Clearsight's face makes Darkstalker stepping back in disgust. But this time fear doesn't drive him but anger. With the intent to make the dragoness pay for his suffering, the nightwing lunges on her, branding his claws.

Anticipating his blunt charge, the dragoness makes a big jump to the side before rushing to him and punching his belly with the talon wearing a moon bracelet, killing Darkstalker by consuming him with the most acidic of magic.

Darkstalker awakes from his nightmare with anger left on his mind, but it quickly fades away as he remembers his objective. Get to the next tower. Getting on his four talons, the nightwing takes a last breath before soaring into the pitch black sky.

After a large but unknown amount of time, he lands at the feet of the tower who is indeed less damaged as he predicted. And when he look at the horizon, he can see four light, not including the one he came from. The night dragon wears a small smile for the first time since… so long.

Checking his altered foresight to see if anything has changed, he can feel the pulse has become a bit stronger. So I really am approaching my goal, if I can progress like that steadily, I won't lose hope on the way. Well… time to rest.

Darkstalker is going to close his eyes and sleep when he feels something new, a little, peculiar spark burning inside him. He then wonders, for all the time he has passed here, he has become familiar with being partially covered in glowy oil, but it is the first he feels that in him.

Is it a remnant of my magic? No, don't be stupid, you put all of it in your scroll. And with that thought, the dragon falls asleep.

Darkstalker walks over the icy desert with his mother Foeslayer. Normally, when the two are together, they smiles as they are happy and love each other deeply, keeping the other in the light. But this time, the mother does not nor does her son, they are in enemy territory.

- "Darkstalker, after all this time fighting and struggling in the war, I don't think I can remain undefeated forever."

- "Don't say that, I'm at your side, I'll give you my help."

- "But that's the thing you don't understand. Your help isn't enough, what could one lone dragon do to win the war. There will always be more icewings to fight."

- "That's not true! We must not give up hope, if we continue forward, one day it will be over."

- "Darkstalker, my dear and foolish son, that day will never come, make peace with that."

- "...no… No! I will never accept that! You're my mother, the person I love the most with sister Whiteout, I will fight until the end to protect you!"

Appearing like ghosts, four icewings holding a spear rush at the mother. The dragoness barely has the time to dodge the spear thrown at her, but it is too late as a moment later one soldier slams into her body. Now that the dragoness is knocked out, the icy ground open with an ominous sound and the four icewing grabs her before going to that opening.

With a final scream, Darkstalker's mother is taken away forever…

Fear and despair run through Darkstalker's mind as he wakes up. This is just a nightmare, calm down. Hopefully, once I wake up, it's only a matter of time before their negative feelings fade away.

Staring at one of the four lights in front of him, the night dragon musters his strength like before and ascends into the air, marking the start of his journey to the fourth tower. But as he travel further and further, the little spark inside him burns stronger until it becomes unbearable for him to maintain flight.

Trying to land carefully, the nightwing isn't spared from all the pain as his condition restrained him from accomplishing an excellent manoeuvrer. But it is not that important, what matters now is for him to rest, hoping the pain will go away.

As time passes, this burning feeling of magical origin extends to every part of Darkstalker's body, it is like the spark is becoming a potent fire. Having no other choice, the night dragon lays down to ease the pain.

More time passes and the nightwing realizes that it will take much longer for that pain to fade, so he might as well sleep. Closing his eyes, he ends in a deep slumber that will take more time than ever...