Chapter 24: Waking up for a new day, a calmer day
Darkstalker awakes in a cell, feeling the cold and moist stone under his body and hearing the sound of water drops hitting the ground periodically…
Extending his four talons to stand up, the nightwing fully opens his eyes and starts to look around and analyse the room.
And it is as expected, just large enough for him to unfold his wings at the center and closed by a door formed by many steal bars, but that won't be enough to keep me here.
However, as makes his first step, he realizes his talons and wings are chained. No matter…
With his strength amplified by his inner sun, the night dragon breaks the instruments of his limitations, tearing them apart and letting their pieces fall to the ground before he can return to his objective.
Approaching the obstacle between him and his freedom, Darkstalker puts his claws on the metal, and starts to clench the metallic bar, but stops a second later.
Am I ready for that?
If I destroy the door now, they will hear me and prepare to foil my escape.
The nightwing looks down, sighing…
I have no plan, just my teeth and claws, will that be enough?
Sensing his core, the prisoner stares at the crystal over his chest and sees that wound has almost fully healed. But as he moves his paw over his neck, he can feel the big, nasty scar Vigilance had inflicted upon him.
Remembering his cruel enemy and his last defeat, Darkstalker hisses in rage, but stays calm enough to think about what to do.
I have to escape, and with the spear of Secunda if possible…
It doesn't matter how, because the longer I stay here, the more they will be able to make me submit.
Even if I will have to fight Vigilance, Fathom and Clearsight together, I can at least try, so I have to.
Regaining his fighting spirit, the nightwing applies pressure to the bar again, and soon, the metal bends until it is torn apart…
Then a second bar is stripped away a moment later…
Then a third…
Until finally the door is nothing put a pitiful excuse that Darkstalker simply slams into, dislodging it and making it fall to the hard ground with a loud thud.
Leaving his cell, the nightwing walks through the corridor, more confident and wilful than ever…
Seems like this prison is pretty simple… Just one corridor leading to the other part and exit.
Marching steadily and keeping his guard, the seer is listening to every sound and every mind so he can know when to run or fight…
.
Passing near the last empty cells, Darkstalker arrives and stops at the new part's entrance, sensing the presence of an opponent not this far away…
Slithering silently near each wall, the nightwing goes through the larger room to end up just before the long circular staircase. Doing a break, he relaxes a bit and thinks about the situation, of what awaits him at the top.
I won't ever be able to hide myself from them, the end of the stairs are checked, that's a certainty…
That mean I'll to force things through despite the fact they are prepared, so let's see…
Vigilance is good fighter, but Clearsight is not and Fathom will surely stay far behind and support them the way he can.
If I go all in, it'll be better that I knock out or stun Vigilance and run away as fast as I can…
Choosing that simple plan, Darkstalker starts to ascend the staircase, knowing full well what awaits him. And it is with a firm expression that he continues in his track with the sound of his steps echoing through the prison…
.
Getting near the end of it, the seer senses none of the ones he imagined, but one he still fears.
Slowing down, Darkstalker sees the dragoness waiting for him from far enough he won't be attacked directly when he will ascend the last step…
Catching his breath, the nightwing takes a break the time to gather his strength and will as he really needs it.
A moment later, Darkstalker continues and arrives at the end of the circular stairs. Going into the new room, the nightwing can see his antagonist in all of her terrifying glory, queen Diamond of the icewings.
- "Congratulation Darkstalker, your determination can really bring you to the sky."
Grinning ominously, the imposing queen is a foe the nightwing know he must not underestimate.
- "What an honour, are you the one they sent to stop me?"
Replying ironically to hide his disdain, Darkstalker stays on guard, ready for the treacherous act that might come...
- "You don't understand. It is only by luck that my goal and their seem equivalent in your eyes, but I assure you, my aim is totally different."
Doubting her words, he still asks the question she expects.
- "What do you mean?"
- "I mean that I have many plans for you, where you play important roles, doing things far greater than what that miserable Vigilance and your false lover had in store for you."
Surprised by her answer, the night dragon refuses the offer she insinuates, feeling the high potential for manipulation.
- "You're lying. I was in a cell, chained and reduced to almost nothing not so long ago. Whatever you have planned for me, it is unworthy of me."
Unfolding his wings, Darkstalker stands up to Diamond, ready to fight despite her power, despite the odds being stacked against him…
- "Always so combative my dear grandson, I like that! But no, we won't fight, at least not before I say all that I want to tell you…"
- "Which is?"
That we share a similar destiny.
.
Darkstalker suddenly catches his breath and instinctively opens his eyes wide, waking up instantly to the surprise of the great dragoness.
Taking a moment to come back to his senses, Darkstalker looks at the room he is in…
Full of crystals and shelves near the walls, with a large and soft surface he lays on at the center, and numerous jars followed by some tools, this place could perfectly fit in a laboratory.
Laboratory?
That's when the realization hits him, the young one is still in that part of the Pyramid, a quick look at the strong but distant power he can feel coupled with Akhanta's thoughts confirms that.
But he doesn't have the time to react alone as a huge wings is unfolded before him, given at him to come closer by the dark blue giant.
Looking at her, the "little" one is instinctively taken aback, before calming down and leaning into her, trusting her serene mind faster than he can truly think about it. But now that he is in contact with her mystical scales of dark blue, he decides to stay against that part of her body for a moment, and then climbs it like his core tells him to.
Now laying on her resistant but soft membrane, on the delicate web of essences covered by a worthy organic fabric, Darkstalker simply rests there for a time, letting his wings, tail and neck fall and looking occasionally at the giant dragoness in the eyes…
.
- "Akhanta… Why do you keep taking care of me?" Whispers the nightwing, too quiet for her to hear but secretly hoping she understands.
"Yth…"
Hearing that single word and the young one's confusion, Akhanta moves her head a little closer.
- "Heij uthu kasarh sif zaptoe Darkstalker?"
To the words of the giant, the nightwing starts to look around for a moment…
Focusing on the shelves, he finally points a claw at what seems to be tablets stored in a grey one along with some scrolls.
Confused, Akhanta grants him his request and brings him what he wants while he climbs down from her wing. As she comes back, the night dragon realizes the tablets aren't blank like he expected but depict his body under many angles along with a lot of text, probably explaining details.
Taking a closer look at them, he spots a second pair of little horns being drawn just behind his own.
Curious, Darkstalker moves his talon to touch the area just behind his head, and as he goes farther back, the nightwing feels something behind his twisted horns. Rubbing it with his paw, he determines that part is small and solid.
Doing the same thing for the other side, the young one finds a similar part as well.
A little shocked, the nightwing searches the room for anything that could show him his own reflection, and looks over shiny objects in hope one has a pure metallic surface...
Seeing the young one approaching a golden plate, the great dragoness realizes what he wants as she sees him staring at the object like a mirror.
Hesitating, Akhanta finally takes her decision.
- "Darkstalker, kovtur tsekat."
The young one looks at her, confused. So to make herself understood, the dark blue giant points at the ground.
"Kovtur tsekat."
From her mind, the seer gets an idea of the action she wants him to do, stay here.
Nodding, the night dragon watches the dark blue giant going outside of the room with an object in mind, a large mirror.
Now alone but still focusing on her presence, the nightwing senses a second one not so far from here, an aura he recognizes as coming from Xamirh, which made him think…
So he is in the lab as well…
What… what happened last time?
I and Akhanta came to the deepest room, and we saw the big crystal again… with that cocoon full of power…
And it contains some of my essences, but that isn't that big of a surprise. But…
Is it really something I have a strong… relationship with?
And was it really a sort of egg? I mean how could that thing even work? It's… There is no way that thing will hatch into a dragon, and dragonets aren't born that big anyway...
But then why was I so sure? Why did what he represents made me remember and feel absolutely angry?
The more he thinks about it, the more confused and emotional he becomes until his mind reaches a conclusion.
I'll have to return to that cocoon sooner or later, despite how... uneasy that place makes me, or else I'll never know. But these questions aren't ones I can just ignore…
.
Coming back with a large reflective piece is Akhanta.
Putting the mirror in front of him, the great dragoness then walks to his side, moving the dark blue scales of her giant body around the nightwing to lay on the left…
Now being able to see himself, with his body wearing no clothes nor any object since he woke up, Darkstalker doesn't take long to confirm he has a second pair of new horn. They are of course, not developed at all, like those of a newborn, and they will surely grow with time, lots of time thinks the nightwing, almost getting nostalgic.
Continuing to inspect himself, the night dragon realizes the line of icy scales he has on each side branches out a bit while his three teardrop scales on each eyes have some kind of extension under the form of very thin markings of faint light…
But the more he stares at the mirror, the more something seems off. After a moment of inspection, the young one is a bit shocked, discovering that he didn't quite fully healed from his last wounds.
Moving a paw along his body from chest to head, he realizes the softness of his skin as his claws push his scales against his flesh with too much ease.
Watching Darkstalker being taken by doubt during his analysis, the great dragoness understands he worries about his body. And wanting to bring him comfort, she leans her paw to him in hope he comes closer…
Seeing the shift in her mind, the nightwing sees her intent clearly, and after a moment of hesitation, decides to climb on her paw, preferring that to the loneliness he must escape from.
So now that the young one stays still her talon, the giant dragoness lays down completely, letting all of her body relax as she approaches the smaller one from herself, and seeing he doesn't really oppose her, puts him against her chest.
Breathing calmer than ever, the young one just lets himself be against her mystical scales, receiving the warmth of her giant body along with connections of the essences' flows he accepts.
As his mind is coloured with that loving side of her he can feel extending and he receives her essences, giving his in return, Darkstalker feels his fear fading away...
- "Ghyt heia iumin uthutias qurake, the eiuf olum kes yihe Zu okutes ifyat, ythe eiuf mulys Zu heij Zu okutes."
- "Zu?"
Akhanta lays him down gently and once he stands on his talons, she rises her paw and passes it over his body from head to tail, then passes her claw under him from chest to head.
- "Zu." Answers simply the great dragoness.
Still confused, the young one gets a better idea of the word.
It seems "Zu" means you, but maybe all of you, maybe…
Grabbing one of the tablets Darkstalker saw before, she puts it in front of him and extends her talon to touch the new little horns he has.
"Uthu bastot azeiw the, aqerh yth tunis uthu xetisoz..."
Turning back to go to the many shelves, the dark blue giant searches in the numerous documents, pulling out and unrolling scroll after scroll, but too many times, she has to put them back as the nightwing would never really get any new information from them…
And while he watches her, almost amused by the difficulty she comes across, Akhanta appears to grow annoyed has she focuses on her third large shelf, before finally giving up a moment later.
Refocusing, the giant dragoness ungracefully pulls out some blank scrolls and tablets and puts them down before starting to draw things herself under the watch of the nightwing.
Taking a bit of time to draw him properly on a tablet, she then adds a circle over his chest.
"Zu" Says Akhanta while presenting him the whole tablet.
Seeing Darkstalker understands, she then points at the circle.
- "Ekyzu, kyvury."
Leaning his head to be sure he sees correctly as he dive deeper into her mind, the young one thinks.
Are you speaking of the heart who pump blood and essences, or of something like the sun I have in me... or both?
Seeing the nightwing still uncertain, the great dragoness takes a scroll this time and draws…
It does take more time than before but the result satisfies her.
Staring at the scroll, Darkstalker sees drawings of himself growing step by step, with his heart getting bigger and its connections getting numerous.
"Darkstalker."
Calling him out, the giant dragoness puts her paw over the dark blue scales of her chest who almost leaks her essences, then she moves her claws all the way up while she unfolds her magnificent and gigantic wings. Finally, she rubs the third pair of horns she has, behind the pair of straight ones and the pair of spiralling ones.
"Lieju uthu gynhim ofemyl?" Asks Akhanta after having done all of that.
Without fully understanding the question, the young one answers yes.
- "Ko."
To his word, the dragoness smiles until Darkstalker has something in mind.
"Akhanta, yth…"
Lacking words, the nightwing simply takes a blank tablet and infuses his claw with a bit of essences, preparing to draw. There are some things that he saw last time that he needs answers for…
Starting with the simpler concept, the young one draws without having to do that much efforts a big crystal, the one he saw in the deepest room.
Seeing how the nightwing behave like that crystal is a very important one, the great dragoness quickly gets he must be drawing the Crystal.
Then, Darkstalker starts to draw the shape of dragons around it and once he has finished look up and stares at her, curious and asking.
- "Yth holcu heij uthu kasarh ythyl sif holcu."
Saying that, Akhanta goes to one of the many huge jars in the room and takes an orange crystal the size of her paw. Coming back and laying down her enormous body, the dragoness puts the big gem before him. Now that the nightwing can clearly see and feel the precious stone almost as big as him, she begins to explain.
- "Naxute" Says the dragoness while pointing at the crystal.
Seeing the young one nodding, the mystical giant manifests some essences in her paw and infuses it, giving it a little glow.
"Mulys olmukara"
A moment later, she extract its power just with as much ease.
"Lumu olmukara."
Give and take essences… the crystal act as a container, simple for now.
Extending his paw, the nightwing tries to imitate the dragoness, and after a moment of focus, succeeds in giving and taking his energy from the crystal.
Content with him, Akhanta then turns back to walk to another jar, takes a bottle around and fills it with the jar's content before coming back.
Presenting him the recipient containing coloured and shining sand and dust, the great dragoness pour all of it on her huge paw and in a short moment, creates a single green and red gem with it, leaving not a single grain left.
Surprising Darkstalker, she then infuses it with so much power it starts to heat up until it is almost as hot as magma, and stick it to the other crystal. It takes a few seconds, but in the end the two stones are now one.
Impressed, the nightwing's mind quickly comes back to the original subject he wanted to ask about…
Taking the tablet in his paws, the young one starts to add to his drawing of the Crystal despite the difficulties he encounters.
Being attentive, the giant dragoness determines what he means with all these rounded lines spreading everywhere and the organic shape on top of it. But that doesn't stop her from not knowing how to communicate the complex ideas concerning the Crystal.
Starting with what she thinks is the simplest one, Akhanta puts a claw directly on the rounded element to get his attention.
- "Ikarh."
- "Ikarh?"
- "Ikarh surh yl yimulkeis."
The seer is almost dumbfounded by what those few words confirm along with her mind, being once faced with a truth he really doesn't handle well.
So that thing has a name… It seems I have a lot to learn from them…
Staying almost frozen, Darkstalker's mind is entirely occupied by that entity, thinking about it even if he can't refine his reasoning that much…
Leaning her head, Akhanta looks at him, slightly anxious.
- "Darkstalker, heij ajek... upist?"
Coming out of his thoughts, the nightwing tries to reassure her the way he can, but the great dragoness speaks before he really can.
"Yth gynhim, yth heia eiuf enavet uthu yihe yl ucista ajek alj-alest prita uthu..."
Starting to put the crystal back into its jar, Akhanta remembers something and goes back to the young one.
Looking at the door, she walks toward it while making sure he follows… Leaving the room, both dragons find themselves in the very, very long corridor of the Laboratory and march to its beginning, to join Xamirh as the seer determines from her mind…
.
Arriving at the first room, the great dragoness and the young one see the yellow great one putting back the scrolls he was reading to welcome them, expecting his coming, but not that soon contrarily to the dragoness he wondered why she was taking so much time for her return.
As the two settle before him, laying in front of the pool Xamirh stays in, the great dragon stares at Darkstalker for a moment, analysing all of his body and essences' flows. And seeing some trace coming from ugly wounds, he sighs…
- "Cuxt Akhanta, oij masne surh Darkstalker?" Asks the yellow dragon, his mind concerned for the smaller one.
- "Vulnat jykon, Zo hute olum masne ikul Zo pemku okutes vuyahe mylmyl sif hajuna akvozu." Answers the dragoness remembering well how they healed and she took care of the nightwing.
- "Yth gynhim, ignum yth."
And with that, the great dragon leaves the pool to walk toward the exit of the Laboratory, never forgetting his options are limited.
It is with the sound of the two great dragons' steady and harder steps that Darkstalker thinks deeply as he ascends the stairs of the Pyramid's underground, affected by the seriousness of his two giant guardians…
He has something planned for me, and in all case I seem to play an important role, both for now and in the future...
Climbing each rod to reach the final stage, the three dragons are greeted by the light of the artificial moon which seems to be far stronger than before, it's intensity doubled if not for the fact it is farther in the sky, allowing its light to be spread out more equally...
Staring at the celestial body for a moment, almost standing in awe, Xamirh turns his back to face the two individuals that followed him. Looking at Akhanta first to have her confirmation, the great dragon quickly turns his attention to the nightwing.
This might be a hard time…
- "Darkstalker." Calls out Xamirh in a tone diminished for him but still keeping its urgency.
"Iole ajek ythetias olmiry!"
Pronouncing the final word louder than the last, the great dragon stands up and rises his talon, as if he could take the moon behind him.
Seeing the young one at least understands the importance of the situation, the great one stands down before extending his talon at him.
"Zu ajek yl zesnom."
Saying that, Xamirh's paw starts to radiate with an aura tainted by silver.
Darkstalker recognizes immediately his own essences in the flame presented to him, and blinks in surprise.
How could you… You don't need a container to store them, you absorbed them directly, but that mean… They took some of my power, like they did before. How did I not realize that?
Waiting for the nightwing to be fully marked by his words even if he might not understand them, the yellow giant goes at side to take something akin to scepter with its polished gems on each end, infused with power that run through the blackened alloy.
Coming back at his position, the great dragon stands up again, the noble rod in his claws.
- "Surik toijyl." Says Xamirh, his voice quieter and more personal.
The young comes close like he surely wants while Akhanta follows behind, remaining close to the one she has to take care of.
Now that he has him at his side, Xamirh turns to face the moon and taking the time to gaze upon it, splits the scepter in two equal parts before pointing them at the source of the sky's power.
- "Lieju uthu tunis moxon yl olmukara qaztenis?" Asks the great dragon turning his head.
The nightwing nods at the concept he asks about, seeing with clarity the celestial body and its nature. The essences that compose it follow a better structure than before even if it is still chaotic inside, and the sum of all of them is indeed around twice as much since last time…
Now that everything is ready, Xamirh focuses and loads his power, strengthening his aura as he prepares to cast something in direction of the moon. The air itself becomes charged as the great dragon musters the energy for his spell.
- "Xamirh."
The yellow titan looks back to see the great dragoness approaching, putting herself at his other side.
"Yth ghyt heia hefum iole ajek u jykon dusmil." Says Akhanta, pointing at the nightwing.
Halting the casting, the great dragon stares at Darkstalker and thinks deeply about his state.
After a moment of refection, the yellow giant gives up on the spell, reconnecting the two halves of the scepter and putting it aside.
- "Ykane Xamirh." Says the great dragoness, glad of his decision.
- "Heia okutes, uthutias ifyat surh veafulm." Replies the yellow dragon in respect.
But looking back at the young one, Xamirh grows uncertain about one thing, even if it isn't urgent.
"Cuxt heij ythe ghyt ofemyl?"
- "Darkstalker tunis toeik tsekat nestoq, tho surh pemku feshur akvozu kes yl egado ajek u jykonyl." Answers the dragoness grinning a little.
Agreeing with her, the great dragon lays down while Akhanta does the same once near the nightwing. And seeing them, the seer quickly realizes they are staying here and waiting for him to rest.
Looking at the giant dragoness and then at their creation illuminating the pitch black sky, Darkstalker lets himself relax and lays down here, a bit tired at the moment, surely because he woke up early, all because of that dream...