Chapter 17: Resting together and dreaming of an altered past

Arriving at the tower, the three dragon lay down and start to rest, giving a break to the aching body of Kraydirn and Darkstalker…

Less tired than her peers, Akhanta extends her wings over each of them, reassuring the nightwing and supporting her feathered kin. While the young one looks down, reflecting on the memories and feelings of their confrontation still fresh in his mind, the great dragon is happier to have the dark blue dragoness at his side. A moment later, the two are talking to each other.

- "Darkstalker mylfus esimte almetra kes ragan, Zo surh multny prita iole." Says the dragon of ice and snow, content with the situation despite his exhaustion.

- "Yth kones, ikul ashek asrunte, tho muka nokeha." Replies the grand dragoness, a hint of affection in her voice.

Realizing the little one is watching them, Akhanta is about to act when Kraydirn politely put his talon before her.

- "Lieju yth tunis moneos sif surh inzul sif tho.?"

Seeing her nodding, the feathered great takes a step forward and turns his body to face him. Extending a paw to him, the giant entity speaks the name of the nightwing in a calm and kind tone, like all his fury has faded and his power has been tamed.

"Darkstalker."

Feeling only a fresh and slightly cold ambience from the black and white dragon, the young one gets the desire to be closer to the enormous being, and does so at his own pace, still being tired and not wanting to use his body too much. Ending up between the two titanic dragons, the nightwing lays down in relative peace as they curl around, watching over him.

Since the end of that Battle, the night dragon still had his power burning a bit, his essences flowing in his entire body as well as his senses continuing to be sensitive to the essences around him. Because of that, having the two great ones near him makes him feel like he is at the right place, despite knowing how dangerous their powers are.

It feels like he is more like them, and that essences being unleashed, even in a destructive way, were a charming act, a captivating dance that he can't help but be attracted to.

Now that he thinks about it, the whole Test was kind of that. He has been pushed to his limits until his sun took over him, and then… It was a spectacle more than anything, Kraydirn could have ended it if he wanted to, but he decided to show his power, doing impressive but costly and sometimes non-adapted attacks instead of smaller and more accurate moves.

And thinking of his last one…

The way he mustered everything in him to finish with me held tightly to his scales, what was he trying to make me feel exactly?

Covered by his crude dress, Darkstalker closes his eyes and soon falls asleep, circled by the dark blue one and the feathered one…

At the foot of the Mountain holding the Sun, two dragons march toward its top, one covered in blue veins and the other black.

In their journey, the first one is clearly more persistent and energetic, going through all the dense vegetation and between the trees, climbing with ease the chunks of granite and avoiding treacherous ground or going out of them quickly.

The second, however, is slower and more thoughtful, not fully focused on reality and not always acting quick enough. But despite that, all it takes is looking at his partner to regain confidence and run once again, no matter how many time he halt…

I won't give up, not with you on my side brother. Whatever stands before us and the light of Glory, if that is your ultimate goal as well as one which you can share the flame with, I will follow you, even to the edge of the world...

And I will not let you down. It may seem like it when I run, eager to go foward and engage in the next step, but I never forget to look back at you, to see if you can follow. You are too precious, both to my mind and heart, for me to be impatient and make the mistake of neglecting you...

So run little dragons, run! The Moons watch over you, as does the Sun, you children will always be worthy of the world, and destiny always awaits you. So do not wait if the keys of your wishes are in your heart, go forth and open all the doors...

The Sun shines brighter for the ones below it…

The Moon shines above the peaceful beach, giving colours as the waves scratches the sand bit by bit. Before the water are two nightwings and a seawing, with only one of the two watching the moon. Behind him, the other nightwing and the sea dragon watch over, their mind full of doubts.

- "Did you know the Moon was more powerful and worthy than dragonkind thought?"

- "Darkstalker?" Says the dragoness of night, still wary of him.

Without turning nor looking at her, the nightwing continues while staring at the Moon in admiration, the sight of it bringing him a familiar happiness.

- "To think during millennia, even the ones chosen to be its closest children were utterly lost in this world, our wisdom not being enough to guide them to greatness like they were supposed to..."

Overtaken by his emotions, the dragon of night stands up on two talons and extends his front ones to the celestial body, as if he is hoping to reach it.

Looking at his friend with suspicions and fear, the seawing gets closer to the dragoness before speaking to him in a tone that doesn't hide his feelings.

- "Darkstalker, can you please step down?"

Disappointed, the nightwing turns his head to fully express his disagreement.

- "Fathom, how many time must I say it to you? Our blood doesn't lie, our light doesn't lie, just listen to them, free yourself from these old words that still restrain you to this very day!"

- "He won't." Replies the dragoness, halting Darkstalker's act as she stands determined against him.

"Because our fear is truer than whatever empty promises you think will come true. Let it go."

- "Is that so Clearsight?" Asks the nightwing, annoyed by such opposition from the dragoness supposed to live with him.

- "Yes."

To the cold answer, the dragon starts to become angry before ending up laughing more and more. After catching his breath, he spreads his front talons wide, as if to present the glory of his form.

- "Then go on! You can tell all the words you want, I know you don't believe any of them yourself."

- "Your overconfidence will be your downfall… is all that I have say." Replies the dragoness, standing in opposition to her mate.

- "Hypocrite! You never have faith in essences, except in your own, you never give up Moonlight. Your powers are parts of you, and you love them, embrace them like I do."

Crossing his talons, Darkstalker lowers his voice, but stays as serious as he can.

"I am less different from you than you think, my dear."

- "I do not share your ambitions, that alone makes me different enough."

Turning his back to her like she is a dragonet ignorant of the world's complexity, the nightwing stares back at the Moon.

- "Half bastard is what you are, there is no denying of it. You may reject our own glorious destiny, but at the same time you live with the divine essences like a lover. You deny ambition and yet… You alter the world as much as you can, for it to be one day in your image."

- "Darkstalker, stop!"

Not even dignifying Fathom with a look, the night dragon replies as if his friend couldn't stop him.

- "And you, my friend, are the biggest coward of all! You always run away from your powers, from the light, from the Moon, and… from your loved one."

Darkstalker finally stands down on four legs as his tone becomes tainted by regrets and pity.

"You have been beaten into submission, your mind taken away from the hopes and dreams each day could give you, until you had nothing but mere scrap. You don't fear your powers, you fear the Moon."

Do you realize what they did to you, Fathom?

Thinking things have gone too far, the dragoness takes a step forward and puts a claw on the night dragon, who pushes her paw away, turning hastily to face her. As soon as his eyes look at her, Clearsight speaks in a confrontational tone.

- "Your best friend isn't submitting to anything, he is just far more cautious and hold stronger values and moral, that's all."

- "So you're saying Fathom is fine as he is now?"

To this question, the dragoness takes a moment to think of the answer, not wanting to make a mistake by being reckless.

- "He has his problems and flaws, but he is a good dragon at heart. Just because he is very fearful doesn't mean you can ignore his virtues."

At these words, the seawing feels a little bit better, but worry takes over his mind as sees clearly how the tension between his two friends is increasing.

- "How can you say that, how can you look at him fearing his powers so much he thinks of himself as a living hazard and a burden for anyone, and think he it is only mildly problematic! How can you conclude that a dragon who believes the world would be a better place if he died is a good dragon!"

Turning his back to his supposed lover before she can reply, Darkstalker continues his speech in cold anger.

"Whatever virtues he has… are completely outweighed by such a poor view of his own being. What good is selflessness if it leads to self destruction? I'll told you, none!"

Turning dramatically to face his friend and lover again, Darkstalker looks down at them, especially at her mate, who has failed an important test in his mind...

Waking up with the two great dragons watching him, Darkstalker feels good enough, with his sun still burning a bit more in him than before. That warmth, mystical and captivating, the light of his very being…

Sensing the two great entities, the seer is surprised to feel their aura, still powerful and dangerous, having a calmer side. Akhanta's essences are ones he is becoming familiar with, a potent but predictable mass that can be harsh or welcoming depending on the dragoness' wish, but Kraydirn's ones… That chilly atmosphere, that dormant blizzard, he didn't imagined he would find his aura peaceful after seeing all his crushing might in the Test, and yet…

Slowly standing up, the young one is now ready to fly, but such action can wait a little as the two titans aren't done yet. Laying down again, the feathered grand dragon makes sign with his talon for him to approach. Hesitant despite not seeing anything suspicious in his mind, the smaller one looks at Akhanta to be sure.

Seeing the dragoness confirming her kin's idea silently, Darkstalker walks closer to him. Arriving near his white and blue underside where his feathers are absent, he becomes curious of that exposed shining skin. Extending his paw but halting the movement, he continues as the powerful entity nods, and touches his cold scales.

Examining the surface, the nightwing finds out the great one's scales are smooth and solid like gems, and it is his tender insides that allow his skin to be flexible. Between each of his gemlike scales is a strange substance, acting a bit like snow and being sticky, but most importantly, it contains essences.

Essences, the young one can feel them to such an extent, but it is only natural when one is so close to a great dragon. And yet, it is still fascinating and... sating for the nightwing. Like he obtains something a part of his being craves in that closeness, a bit like lust, as essences and their flows in the body permit a kind of intimacy.

Coming back to reality, the night dragon retrieves his paw, and seeing that Kraydirn is satisfied with the interaction, Darkstalker takes a few steps back and repositions himself. Now is the time to soar and return to the Pyramid.

Ascending in the air, the three dragons starts the flight to their home...