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Chapter 27: Following and learning more from the dark blue dragoness
As Azykan and the nightwing at his side march back from the end of the corridor, with a confident grin hiding the great one's disappointment and a doubtful, almost anxious expression for the smaller one, a shape comes to them from far away...
Focusing on it, the seer takes a moment to discover its aura is that of Akhanta.
She must have heard him opening the Doors.
Keeping his guard up, Darkstalker continues to move forward, his steps steady as he hopes for the best, but knows he isn't in a good situation because of his choice…
Approaching his dark blue kin, Azykan isn't affected one bit by the dragoness' suspiciousness and continues to walk almost carefreely, against the wish of the seer who doesn't want for things to turn badly, not that he really expects a dispute between the great dragons, but there is still something to worry about.
Focusing solely on the giant of red and orange, Akhanta still takes into account the nightwing in the back of her mind, certainly thinking of solving his case after being done with Azykan.
Halting suddenly, the great dragoness stands to her kin, wings partially unfolded as her face remains neutral, not one bit welcoming but not one bit hostile either, though that might change quickly…
- "Azykan, ujaie Darkstalker surh oem uthutias genuf?" Asks the dragoness neutrally, but obviously expecting a good answers from the one asked.
- "Yth hute surh akutme." Says Azykan bluntly, even if he starts to flinch slightly as the one he faces frows.
Casting a quick glance to the little one, a subtle way of her to make her kin take into account the one he took under his wings, the great dragoness sighs.
- "Yl umishe elzurt uthu lumu Darkstalker kes uthu, ectufi ythe tefiku."
Encouraging the nightwing to step to her side, the great dragoness goes back to join her two other kins waiting just outside of their room, who watch from a distance the scene unfolding, curious and a little worried as an unknown isn't completely resolved...
Seeing Azykan following behind the dark blue dragoness, Ayirn and Xamirh understand it is him who began to open the final doors, and did so without warning.
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Being the first to step forward, Xamirh stares at Akhanta, then at Azykan with a serious expression, his twitching tail hinting at his annoyance.
- "Azykan, heij uthu feshute hefum?" Asks the yellow giant, staring straighter into his kin's eyes, almost wanting to pierce into him until he hits the answer.
- "Tho hute surh akutme." Answers the dark blue dragoness before he can, with a sudden attitude of carelessness as the red and orange dragon blinks instinctively.
For a moment, the two great dragons stare at each other in silence, with one irritated and the other embarrassed while the two grand dragoness and the nightwing watch the scene unfolds, keeping some distance.
Seems like you got your due. Serves you right for being so careless...
Breaking his gaze, Xamirh lets his kin go, not wanting to press him further for now.
Looking at the room full of scrolls and tablets, the great dragon thinks deeply for a while, until he decides to put all of that back to the many shelves as Akhanta keeps the young one close to herself, not wanting him to misbehave because of the others' presence, who start to help him.
"Yth lumu yl toijyl kes ythomej."
To the words of the dragoness, the yellow kin nods while Ayirn and Azykan do not oppose what has been said. So she begins to walk away with Darkstalker, beginning her march to the heart of the Pyramid...
Watching her mind, the seer understands that Akhanta doesn't want to bring him to the final room, but just closer to it so she can explain things she deems important. And while the Power that loudly resonates through the tunnel isn't something the nightwing can really handle, she is there for him, already more attentive to his being.
Walking continuously over the gradually more infused floor, like the Power at the end was leaking from the gigantic doors that seal it, the young one follows the dark blue giant in silence, sometimes turning to gaze at her, sometimes not really looking at anything, too deep in his thoughts to check what is before him.
But still, there is one thing that occupies his mind more than anything for now, and it is that red and orange dragon...
So he really just acted freely, daring to do something that important without telling them, to satisfy his curiosity? Because he wanted to?
There doesn't seem to be a strict hierarchy for the Five, just common sense and maybe some rules…
It's hard to guess, seeing how they can alternate between being personal and "professional" in their relationships…
...
If I were stuck with a few others in a desolate world, things would get personal with enough time, that's for sure…
Starting to feel his mind being pressured by something, Darkstalker even shakes little, his way of walking slightly disturbed by his altered attitude.
Spotting these hints despite the young one being seen almost like a hatchling in size for the great dragoness, she slows down a bit and turns her head to better keep an eye on him…
A few minutes later, Akhanta stops near a door no more different than any other. Taking a moment to think and leaving the nightwing just at her side, who stares at her quietly, she finally decides to enter in the apparently "mundane" room.
Pushing the door, the dark blue giant reveals a place full of shelves containing only scrolls and tablets, with a lone pool barely large enough for a great dragon to lay on at the center.
Taking only a short moment to settle in the water, Akhanta gazes all around her, looking at the lines of symbols written over the shelves, which are probably the name of categories, before giving up on them, not interested in any of the scrolls nor tablets for the moment.
Turning back to the little one covered in the "cute" clothes she gave him, the giant dragoness silently invites him to come and rest at her side, her expression a welcoming one…
Not seeing any argument against that, the nightwing approaches the dark blue entity at his own pace, far slower than a child coming to his mother, but not to the point that he shows little interest.
Arriving at the stony edge of the pool, Darkstalker puts a paw on it and turns his head to face the great dragoness, remaining neutral if a bit relieved to have a break from the continuous walk. A walk toward the end that was slowly but surely… eroding his mind.
- "Darkstalker, lieju uthu surh masne?" Asks Akhanta, giving him all the time he needs to answer.
After a moment of watching the nightwing slowly nodding, appearing uncertain while understanding enough of the question from the context and her mind to respond, the great dragoness moves a talon to present him her paw.
The young one doesn't refuse it, so she gently touches him with a claw, carefully rubbing the soft scales of his neck hidden by the dark green fabric, starting to connect a bit with him to better feel his whole being…
After a minute of that rubbing the smaller one lets her do, despite the instinctive reaction of trying to shake off a sudden contact with an external body, Akhanta retracts her talon and lays it in the water, having her answer.
Seeing her mind shifting drastically as she takes into account his state here and now, the seer is far less surprised when the giant dragoness leaves the room only to go the corridor's exit instead of its deepest end…
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Leaving the absurdly long tunnel and entering the first room of the Laboratory, Akhanta takes some time to get a few scrolls of interest and some tablets before settling in the pool, ready to rest and teach for the smaller one.
Looking at her, trying to decipher the topics she will talk about from her thoughts, Darkstalker looks very attentive despite the language barrier that will limit their communication greatly. But still, the dark blue dragoness herself has a few ideas to try before she gives up.
Taking a blank tablet in her claws, Akhanta focuses on one concept of her mind, which bear a name the nightwing heard once before, Ikarh.
While she starts to draw on the tablet, the young one thinks once more about who and what has that name.
Remembering well the two times he went to the Crystal's room, the nightwing didn't forget the things he saw. The gigantic crystal, the soft and infused ground covered in vines and fleshy matter, the well preserved corpses of some dragons, and of course this… glowy cocoon.
You gave it a name, but that's still hard for me to make the link Akhanta.
Like, I saw that supposed "egg" without a shell, but how can I truly believe it will hatch. Maybe if I saw it more I wouldn't be so doubtful…
Then the thoughtful dragon realizes that no one told him such things, or he didn't understand any of their words that would say it is a dragon egg directly, except for himself.
Right… Maybe that room and its power did hit my mind harder than I thought…
Finishing her drawing, Akhanta shows to the smaller one her tablet, which depicts the whole cocoon attached to its crystal, with all the layers that composes it.
Though that image alone can't make Darkstalker fully register it is truly a sort of egg, it does at least make him remember of his dragonethood, of the time he was in anatomy class.
He wasn't that good in that domain, and not always attentive during the many lessons, thinking more of his sister and Clear- her. But it is not just that, the teachers, like the majority of them at the school, had this strict and almost superior attitude in front of their pupils that isn't something one wants to witness often, especially for a dragonet, and even more for a prideful one like Darkstalker.
Not the best of school, like Vigilance herself and her lackeys…
Seriously, they could have at least made more subtle propaganda and employed better methods to taught us to fit in society and respect its hierarchy, not that I would fall for it, I can not be made to forget the glorious fate that awaited me…
And I still believe it! You can laugh as much as you want Vigilance and Clearsight, but my life is not finished despite my banishment.
Even without my magic, there is more than enough power and knowledge to salvage in that desolate world so that when I come back, Pyrrhia will bow to me!
Coming out of his thoughts, the young one realizes Akhanta has been watching him being lost in thoughts for quite a while, though she doesn't know why, but assumes it is because she evoked Ikarh. To such an assumption, the nightwing moves a step closer to show his interest, but the great dragoness has already made her choice.
Putting down the tablet, she stands up and only keeps two scrolls that she holds around her neck by their band.
Putting back the rest, the dark blue giant leaves the Laboratory, urging a confused Darkstalker to follow.
Ascending the steps of the great stairs, the nightwing quickly adapts to Akhanta's sudden shift and maintains his steady march at side, quiet and making no sign of complaints, even if that silence starts to weight on him the more time passes…
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Spotting the smaller one's unsatisfied expression with his body from head to tail moving slightly out of the ordinary, the dragoness keeps her gaze away from him, lowering her head a bit.
- "Nelkemu, ikul ythe surh heia fole amuk." Whispers Akhanta, partially hoping the young one gets that message.
"Uthu eiuf muka almu ythias egurit ufyl ognut..."
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Going through a new way in that maze of a house the Pyramid can be for newcomers, The giant dragoness doesn't take long before turning again… And again, allowing the one at her side to see more scenes of the past according to who have drawn and painted them.
But out of all of what is depicted on the walls, there seems to be a recurring element new to the nightwing that draws his attention.
Below the ground, or deep inside one of the most glorious towers and castle, is a room often filled with the presence of a lone dragon, sometimes two…
With so many flasks, scrolls and tablets on the shelves, and even a few bodies of their own kind, it is a working place for its habitants, who with tools in claws, have to manage and study crystals, fluids, and flesh, under the watch of no one as the others live their life, ignorant of the peculiar room their house possesses.
And as some researchers get their workplace a bit too filled, maybe it is time to extend their lab…
So it seems like the Five share that behaviour as well. I wonder it they were researchers themselves "far" before their world ended. And was their house something that existed before, or did they had to build it from scratch?
Continuing to stare at the scene, the nightwing sees a royal standing on his castle, above the rest of the city, surely an important one like a few others in the dragon Kingdom.
Sometimes depicted as surrounded by family, nobles and high guards, or flying and acting over the crowd of his people, guiding and ruling actively for the majority of his time like all rulers do, there are some moment in which that dragon is drawn laying in the middle of shelves full of scrolls and tablets, reading some, often isolated in a way, even if guards are never far from a royal…
Continuing to follow the imagined recording of history over the stone surfaces that anyone can lay their eyes upon, the gazing one spots the recurring character fairly close to one of the deeper room of his tower, a place corresponding greatly to the archetype of the many "lab" rooms that were seen before.
Often looking straight into it, the dragon of highest blood can be found a few times in pair with its researcher, never stepping inside, but maybe he doesn't need to as one can easily imagine some words being exchanged...
So these isolated dragons are known and potentially supported personally by a royal, makes sense…
High ranking individuals have always been more likely to engage in grand, sometimes secret and more personal projects, with royalty being full of these ambitions through history…
And Vigilance doesn't escape that rule, in fact she might be one of the most defined by it. I didn't have to live all my life close to her like her daughters to get glimpses of her grand plotting, a pity her plans were foiled because she decided to play to reckless.
To think she believed she could control me, only to try to assassinate me as she understood I wouldn't bow to her and she had far too little to stop me…
Darkstalker lets out a false laugh, a little of pity remaining in his mind for one of his greatest opponents.
You took the wrong path and wasted the opportunity of a lifetime, even for a queen of the most advanced tribe in Pyrrhia.
I almost feel bad for you Vigilance, you had sacrificed peace and so much more, and it paid as magic was brought to our tribe. You had now a god only wishing to grow and mature, but you took the wrong decisions.
You tried to force me with gradually less subtilty to bow to you, when you should have encouraged me to go the way you wanted for me, to cultivate my ambition and cross it with your.
The only chains an animus has come from the mind, from what he is not willing to do.
To late did I realize that...
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Arriving at a new set of doors, the dark blue giant opens them with ease to reveal a room full of crystals, with engraved jars and shelves filled with what could store knowledge if these words are ones of truth.
Bringing the nightwing to the center marked by spiralling symbols and the drawing of the dragon god, the great dragoness lays him there and goes to take what she needs from many jars while he gazes upon the divine figure.
Ankonalmirh's body is circling, their wings unfolded, and their four eyes closed, adding to the serene expression of the greater being, who seems at peace more than anything…
Laying her imposing form in front of the little one, Akhanta puts down all of her mystical objects, as well as the two scrolls around her neck, except for a single crystal she still holds in her paw, its orange facets emitting a light reminiscent of stone when it is one with fire, sometimes ascending to the surface, when mountains decide to roar.
Seeing she has now the nightwing's attention on her and the gem, the dark blue giant unrolls the scrolls at her side and stares at them. For a moment, she thinks of how to best present the being that Ikarh is to Darkstalker, her mind diving into deeper technicality of essences manipulation, complex systems and rituals that he has almost no chance of understanding, even if he knew what her thoughts fully meant.
Looking back at him, Akhanta starts to draw a runic circle, a simple one between them compared to the few he saw the great dragons create, before laying the orange stone on it.
Putting a claw over her belly, the dragoness gently and cleanly separates her glorious scales, then cuts a little opening in her bluish and purple flesh, letting a relatively small amount of her blood dropping to the ground while feeling little to no pain.
Closing her wound in no more than ten seconds, the dark blue entity leads the puddle toward the crystal circled by symbols, all under the watch of the attentive nightwing, his mind containing some morbid curiosity as he follows the raw and vivid liquid combining with the inorganic, tainting it until it covers, and finally changes its form until the crystal is totally transformed…
Where the solid and rigid gem once was is now an altered stone infected by fleshy matter, with little veins and some vines already spreading on the floor.
- "Uthu tunis disut th." Says Akhanta to the young one, who despite her tongue makes out he can come closer to the crystal.
Taking a few steps forward, Darkstalker can see in details how the transformed and infused stone contains the essences of the great dragoness, like nothing has been lost at all, and it even got that extremely slow and weak pulse, as if the gem was becoming more "alive" and gaining some semblance of a heart.
Looking down to stare at the vines, the nightwing spots that they appears to be not very tangible, more oily looking, like a liquid mass that has just dried or solidified enough to remain in place, but seems like it could be deformed with little force…
Curious enough to overcome his reticence, the young one touches the glowy matter to verify his intuition, and he was right, the viscous substance deforms and sticks to his paw, like some peculiar oils stored in unique bottles to signify their preciousness and specific uses.
However, the longer he interacts with that "oil", the more he realizes it shares similarities with something… Until it hits him.
Awakening from a long slumber, the night dragon finds himself laying on the soft and colourful ground glowing with a faint light.
Looking at himself, the lost one spots the many veins that spread over his flesh, and the vines, tendrils of energy, viscous and oily, covering him…
- "Lieju uthu azimek aftomer Darkstalker?" Whispers the attentive dragoness.
The nightwing immediately looks up to gaze upon the dark blue giant, her head lower than before and her paw far closer to him. The way she looks at him, the seer needs no words to know what she might ask, and hesitantly nods.
The paw of the draconic titan comes near him and a little above. With a bit of her essences, the vines spread as she moves her claws, all under the watch of the smaller one…
Seeing some of the vines have spread over the young one's talon, Akhanta was about to react when he makes sign for her to stop, such a thing being more surprising than really problematic. It is, in fact, slightly pleasant to feel the viscous matter over his scales, if a bit odd, but it is still messy.
So Darkstalker simply try to take off some of it. Grabbing an oily vine, he pulls it, stretching the glowy matter which behaves a bit like silk, but with far less resistance. Watching the result, the nightwing gets a confirmation, if he didn't before, that trying to get rid of the oily vines completely without water is a useless endeavour…
Watching the little one testing what covers him, no doubt being curious despite not being energetic like a playful dragonet, the great dragoness points a claw at him. With the single move retracting it, the viscous matter flees the nightwing's surface until there is nothing left on him.
Slightly impressed, the young one rubs his paw over the softer orange stone, getting some of the oily substance on him, to then try to make it go all away on its own. Taking a moment to focus, he instinctively uses the flow of his own energy to push out what covers him.
After a few seconds, what was on him leaves his scale. But seeing his success, Darkstalker doesn't stop there. Turning his focus to the vines over the ground, he attempts to apply his will and make them grow.
Moving his paw slowly but surely as the desire he acts upon becomes more intense, the viscous matter spreads out like the roots of a plant in a soft soil…
Silently following the beginner's act with her eyes, Akhanta appears to be pleased at the progress her "pupil" makes. And a quick glance from the seer as he finishes to apply his will lefts him with no doubts.
But as he turns to face her, it doesn't take take long for the learner to point at the more organic gem, wondering if he can connect or have some control on it to better understand its nature.
Seeing the great dragoness approving of what he is about to do, the nightwing turns around and takes a step closer. Adjusting his talon, the young one initiates the link with the crystal, an easy task which rewards him with the knowledge of the stone's essences, of their simple identity.
But after some time, Darkstalker's curiosity and desire for control mix with something deep inside him.
Taking one step closer, the young one gradually retracts his talon as the veins of the stone take over it even more, its organic veil growing a little in size outside as well as inside it, starting to consume the inert crystal…
"Oueryk."
Essences of varying shades of blue come as mist which embraces the mutating crystal brings the blessing of Akhanta while a second crystal is presented by her, ready to be used with her power.
The nightwing looks at the great dragoness, her mind an enigma that the core of his very being seems to appreciate. And now, he nods in agreement, prepared for what they are creating.
Symbols are drawn as a spell is being made, a short moment is all it takes for the precious stone to be engulfed in light, bringing the same feeling for the two dragons, who only wait for the two pieces to become one as they wish.
With that done, a new stone, and quickly another one are brought to participate in this mystical craft. Soon, a similar ritual is employed for all of them, combing each of the gems in the mist of power and engulfing in the magical dust.
And with a final flash of light, all parts are now one, merged into a raw chunk similar to an obelisk, as big as two thirds of the smaller one, with its colour that of its components mashed together, and its surface absolutely covered in an organic fabric reminiscent of flesh far more than viscous oil, now fully beating like a heart, even it is with a chaotic rhythm…
Finishing to contribute to the new entity, Darkstalker's main desire weakens, allowing him to return to a more normal way of thinking. But it doesn't last long, as a moment of staring at what he helped to make is all it takes to remind him of the being all of that was about.
Hit by a new piece of understanding of what he saw in the final room, the nightwing freezes in place, his mind too occupied by watching these specific memories again, and under a new light...
Watching his sudden shift in behaviour, Akhanta leans her head into him, bringing herself far closer to the young one, making him snap from his thoughts as the giant being stares at him as much as she can for a short moment before she recoils, her expression no longer one of worry.
- "Lieju Ikarh ajek aljalest prita uthu?" Says the dragoness while she looks away from his eyes.
Watching her thinking more than ever in reaction, the seer spots she is deciding what to do, and the image of the "moon" becoming more present in her mind is a very big hint about where she would go.
Standing up, the draconic giant looks back Darkstalker, then at the room's entrance, before she walks to the latter, moving her giant form out of the water and making him to step aside to avoid being wet.
But as the nightwing starts to follow her, he slows down halfway through, looking back at the crystal and wondering if Akhanta will really leave the room in that state…
Circling the smaller one with her enormous tail, the great dragoness gazes upon where he does. From there, one can see the place is in a little mess, with dust and veins over the floor, a somewhat big crystal and two scrolls laying around.
But it will be cleaned up later, at least that is what the dark blue dragoness thinks as she exits the room with the nightwing, more confident for her new idea.
Starting their walk toward the top of the Pyramid, but having a very different path from before, the great one feels far more exited at the moment than Darkstalker is, not that he doesn't look forward to seeing the sky again, now that it has something worthy of being gazed at…
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Approaching the last stage, the seer can feel Azykan's presence at their destination, like his giant companion does so well, and that doesn't put him in a good mood. But it is not too bad of a mood, as the nightwing has Akhanta at his side, and he hasn't forgotten how she took care of him and confronted the "impatient" dragon for his last act, and that's not even accounting for all the times she defended him from the other great ones...
Loathing the red and orange dragon but feeling protected and expecting to see something beautiful in the sky... It is with that context that the young one moves forward to the top, marching with determination in the face of what the future has in store for him.
And at his side, the great dragoness marches as well, calm yet eager to reach their destination, not flinching nor shifting her thoughts that much at the news of her kin being there...
