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Chapter 25: A glimpse of her past
Staying still, Darkstalker looks at the imperfect, probably not even half completed celestial object while having the great dragoness at his side.
It is impressive to see what happened in "so little time", to have something blessing the sky that was once a perfect void except for a little star not so long ago. Important things are going on, even for beings as impressive and powerful as the five great dragons, and the young one is at the center of it all.
And yet… he can not compare to them even at his best, at least for now. What he did since he arrived is not that much, and even the Five have not taught him more than mere scraps, not even the basics, which is understandable considering the short time he lived here…
The more the nightwing thinks about it, the more he realizes it is his existence more than anything else, more than even his actions, that is important to them, to that world. Looking at the "moon" confirms that further, it does not contain that much of his essences, in fact, the vast majority comes from others, but it apparently still needs some of his own to be created.
As for the utility of the celestial object, the young one still wonders about it, even if there is something special that makes it worthy in a way. Such a presence, an accumulation of power…
He could feel it a bit the first time he saw that moon, but now, when he looks straight into it, it clearly feels otherworldly and… unreal, like all these essences combined into one body could start to bend the sky, but not just the sky...
Not just the sky...
Thinking about such a property, Darkstalker quickly remembers something that shared it, but was far more… Intense.
The Crystal, something that the nightwing fears just by thinking about it now. Two encounters he had with it, and each time, its overwhelming power and everything around it made his mind turn into a mess.
How can they handle that whole place so well? They feel essences like me if not more, so they should be affected like I am...
Focusing on the moon again, the seer wonders...
Doesn't the Crystal contains far more power than any moon they have created, so why make one when they already have that vessel full of energy, and probably more stable than the moon?
To that question, the young one knows he will not get a proper answer before some time, and sighs in defeat, genuinely regretting to not know the tongue of these great dragons. Looking down, Darkstalker tries to think of something else, something more… pleasant or at least less important. But even that is not easy to find...
The nightwing growls, remembering the catastrophic situation just before he was banished. Clearsight betrayed him, fathom fled and probably took her side, Vigilance escaped, and his sister was alone in the chaos.
Whiteout! Last time we saw ourselves, you were watching me putting an end to our pitiful excuse of a father, and… alone.
You were alone, there is no doubt about that, and fathom and Clearsight fled anyway, not that they really cared about you.
Darkstalker freezes, his last thought piercing and shattering something in his mind.
You, you both never cared about her, nor my mother, nor anything but me because of my powers. You don't wanted me that I kill anyone, even the dirtiest of assassin, not because of the suffering I would brought, but because you thought I would turn more evil...
You are no better than these five giant dragons using me, in fact you are worse than them expect Ayirn. Because at least they are not trying to excuse all of their wrong, they are on the verge of nothing, they know it and they don't try to hide as the good guy, there is just no one to judge them and stop them anymore...
If I wasn't so reliant on my future sight and being stupidly optimist, I wouldn't have stayed with any of you. I should have let you be Vigilance's little lackey Clearsight, not that you could really hate that job, you could never think her death would lead to a good outcome, and you would never rebel because you're at the best place to watch over all futures, no matter how unfairly she treats you.
And you Fathom, you really were doomed to fail since the start, even our false queen saw that. You're just a terrified, broken dragon who cries and scream words that won't convince anyone, but because I thought I could salvage you, I stayed with you when I should have kept my time for myself.
And there are so many dragons in our kingdom, to think I was fooled by my vision and believed I didn't have to seek outside of my comfort zone at least a worthy dragon to live at my side…
Taking a moment, the nightwing regains his focus, temporarily strengthening his will with a clear goal in mind.
I'll climb the wall of that dark pit you threw me in Clearsight, I'll come back from that damned realm you wished I would stay inside forever!
You thought you could get rid of me, finish me for good… I'll prove you wrong in due time.
Spotting the eyes of the yellow giant gazing at him, the young one gets out of his thoughts to stare back.
Xamirh's face remains neutral if a bit curious, hiding his more emotional mind by keeping a somewhat serious attitude. And diving deeper into his thoughts, the seer gets glimpse of how important things are becoming.
Of what seems like plans entering in motion, of experiments, of key events and everything going faster as the Five get closer and closer to th-
- "Akhanta, lieju yth tunis eizvalt yl toijyl?"
The great dragoness looks back at the young one, turning the neck of her massive body so her eyes point straight into his own. Understanding enough of her thoughts, Darkstalker stands up and starts to approach the yellow giant before she can utter a word, surprising both of them a little bit.
- "Xamirh." Calls out the nightwing, waiting for him to act now that he is closer.
But the great dragon does not do anything, he just stays there, almost in admiration, and while his mind still sees him as a key part of their plan, that concept is pushed back, replaced by curiosity for his identity, his origin, what he represents…
The titanic entity lays down, lowering himself to his level to better watch him before casting a glance at Akhanta, seaming a bit uncertain.
"Akhanta, Lieju uthu kenib astutomer Zotias lekuna?" Asks simply the great dragon to his dark blue kin, counting on her for answers.
- "Hie, yth hute heia oxtup tho azeiw thotias iute, jivun yihe iole soumvu ashek nolarka sif gynhim tho." Says the giant dragoness, disappointing him before he understands the reason behind the shortcoming of his kin.
Looking out there for a moment, the yellow dragon has his mind taken over by Darkstalker's identity, his past, and tries to connect the dots with the tremendous amount of memories he has despite the difficulty of the task…
After a moment of intense reflection that reminds Darkstalker of the seer he used to love, Xamirh stands up, ready to march again with his imposing form.
- "Yth eiuf teneij sif janubt kalup eruqit, yth eiuf jernup sylis jteos mylmyl..."
Going back inside inside the Pyramid, the yellow titan casts one last glance at them, seeing his kin nodding before leaving the two alone with the moon in the sky.
Since that moment, Akhanta appears more thoughtful than ever while eyeing the smaller one. Even if her mind stays calm, this is the first time the young one sees her that interested about who he really was before they saw him, not that she wasn't before but…
- "Darkstalker…"
The great dragoness now fully looks at him, and the more she stares at the nightwing, the stronger a desire becomes. Questions are begging to be spoken…, but they would not be understood by the one asked.
Defeated, the dark blue giant crosses her talons and turns her head partially away, losing herself in thoughts that become coloured by worry and fear more than anything else, until one thought rises at the top, fully tainted by these and repeating itself, each iteration expressing the same idea under a different form...
Finally, a question becomes as loud as it can be in the great dragoness' mind.
Lieju Zutias iute u jykonyl?
The little seer shakes instinctively in surprise of such a thought which marks some sort of shift in Akhanta's mind.
Pictures of a distant past surge again, feelings of nostalgia for a kingdom long gone, fear as she reminds herself of the days when the threat that destroyed everything was slowly coming, sadness for everything that was lost and shame for not being enough, for the ultimate Failure of their kind...
They all return to the great one, occupying the seer for a moment… There was a time when that realm wasn't nothing, even if it started to decay, along with the dragon Kingdom.
Worry and frustration began to take their hold on the population as news of the edges of the world becoming sterile were spreading.
But in a temple not so far of the civilization's center, whose glory compares to a third of the great Palace, a dark blue dragoness continues to live her life despite hearing of the terrible words sooner than almost everyone in the town.
Walking through the corridor of polished stones, marked by the symbols of values the kingdom holds dear, as well as statues of so many dragons, but too vague and hard to decipher, the dragoness continues her march, maintaining a wilful and caring attitude as she hides the doubts in her head...
Approaching largest room, Akhanta remains confident as she enters in the sight of so many of her people, from young to old, they are all here, looking at her for guidance more than anyone else, even the royals.
Standing in front of everyone like a queen with her reputation sublimed by her unique dress and cape, the dragoness starts to give her words to anyone that might need them, coming to answer questions, but more importantly, to resolve the doubts and worries of the many…
Opening the door, Akhanta steps inside while under the watch of yellow dragon and his pale green acolyte, both silent and serious, especially the first one who in frustration, rubs the stone beneath him.
Settling at the edge of the circular pool, the three starts to discuss about the situation together, and it can not even be glorious in name only as they have expected...
The sterile lands at the edges spread slowly but surely, finally forcing the habitants of the farthest parts of the kingdom to step back, abandoning their house due to resources, including food, becoming too scarce.
For a prideful civilization that smashed through any obstacle and conquered the world, for the children of Ankonalmirh, it hurts… so much.
But that is not what is the most important.
What matters is what they will do as people count on them in time crisis, they need the right words and decisions to keep their calm and work for a solution. Each mistake is best avoided or they will the suffer the consequences far more than before.
But that is not enough anymore, and they realize it a little more each day, as time passes and they meet again and again…
Even without mistakes, the power required to protect and fulfil their duties is far above their own. And the king and Queen, along with the nobles will not be able to solve that if it continues.
Explaining that bluntly, the yellow dragon breaks a taboo and allows others to get a glimpse of his true ambitions, which becomes a necessity if they want to have hope.
Nodding at that fact, the dragoness shares some of her doubts and defiance with him and his more quiet peer...
They are guardians, mentors recognized by many and whose names are known everywhere in the realm of dragons. With such a place in the Kingdom, it is only natural they can go their own way, and even against the royals.
And if there are ones who should try something extraordinary to save the future, it's them...
The dark blue dragoness walks through the temple again, her face one of doubts of regrets.
Time has not been kind to the kingdom, nor to her or everyone else for that matter. A few cycles is all it took for the decay of the world to be a more tenacious idea, for the dragon of all corners of society to doubt about the future as their civilization is starting to shrink for the first time…
.
Entering into a room full of younglings, Akhanta joins them like she always did, with that steady march showing eagerness but also grace like a guardian and parent does when he or she returns to the ones they took under their wings.
But something is missing, and the most loyal of the young spots it perfectly despite the efforts of the other guardians and parents to run the place as best as they can in these dire times... They are, of course, successful in that the temple still stand and so does its glory which does not erode so easily, making it a beacon of hope far more than before.
The population seeks hope, and hope is better inspired by glorious things that stands well above the rest. Beside, the temple and its habitant have been doing a spectacular work, taking care of all the new dragons that sought a caring place...
But that is not enough, and the dragoness knows it far too well as she approaches her young one, barely keeping a grin, still trying to stay true to herself.
In an instant, her talons take hold of the smaller one's red scales and her wings covers her back. Laying with all of her body against the dark blue scales, the young one lets herself be embraced tightly by the legendary dragoness. But she is not there for her glory, the red dragonet only wants for her guardian to be here and ready each day…
Laying her down, Akhanta marches to the center of the room, prepared to continue the teachings for all of them, but still her mind can not ignore what they call the Plague, a fitting name for the threat being a sea of death and ruin more than anything else.
Day after day, things are becoming more difficult, and despite her position, she clearly understands it is only a matter of time before it falls on them. And despite holding on against the truth of the Kingdom's vulnerability, she feels herself becoming tainted by something she hates…
Still in her own corner, the giant bearing dark blue scales looks almost down for a moment before turning her head, but not completely facing him.
"Lieju yth khutey eiagyst sif ashek u uforxy kes yfena? Aqerh almu iole mylmyl olhu-somul yth…"
As the moon lightens her unfacing form, the sound of her slow breathing deepens as the silent moment between two unmoving dragons extends with each second, with the seer continuing to watch her mind, utterly captivated despite very few of her feelings being good ones…
And while the thoughts of the great dragoness still link to her past, they become rawer and charged with more intense emotions as Akhanta rewatches the decay of her civilization more and more, until her mind fully dives into the memories of a kingdom in total crisis, with not a single one staying ignorant of its doom.
Some might try to wear a mask of confidence, happiness or strength in these dire times, but it cracks one way or another, and all one has to do to see that is to look straight in the eyes of its wearer.
It always cracks…
.
- "Yfena Akhanta?"
The dark blue dragoness stares at the young one, tired more than anything, her imposing stance on the verge of breaking if not for the blackened feeling bleeding from the ruined mind that maintains her body crudely.
With her face now a broken mask, revealing her half crying half hollow eyes and fangs shattering her mouth, the giant of dark blue breathes faster and slower, lacking more and more control.
Facing that, the smaller recoils in fear, not having the time to be disgusted by such a twisted sight of her...
Hearing him, the dragoness closes her eyes. And with a tear falling, she utters her last words…
- "Zu surh nelkemu Olkusha."
In a split second, her eyes open again, revealing the darkest pit of her soul, burning and unstoppable.
Rising a talon to show her giant and merciless claws, the titanic entity opens her mouth...
.
Drops of purple blood fall on the floor.
Reopening his eyes and staring at Akhanta, the nightwing spots the mystical and burning arrow that pierced her scales, stuck right into her chest.
Feeling his paw shaking and the painfully hot sensation it gives him, the young one looks at it to see black scales lacking that bluish shade, and when he moves a claw, pain courses through him immediately…
Looking back at the great dragoness, his eyes gaze upon a sadder being, whose mind contains no anger nor fear, letting a lot of place for pity to come, pity for the little one and herself.
Putting a paw over her chest, Akhanta slowly restores her own skin and flesh as she retrieves the arrow of energy and consumes its essences.
Now fully facing Darkstalker, the dark blue giant lays down and lowers her head. And unfolding her giant wing, she returns it to herself, bringing the nightwing to her without much resistance.
Settling closer to her, the young one does not dare to look at her eyes, ashamed and still shaken by the distorted visions he got, especially the last one. Gradually looking down, he even starts to cower, ignoring his own pain and situation…
A gentle paw moves over his back, putting the scales of both dragons in contact before the silence is broken.
- "Darkstalker."
Saying his name in a more lighted and serene tone as she leans her head closer and closer, Akhanta regains her will despite feeling deeply sorry for her failure, for not being enough and for the being that she is as she thinks about his past…
Touching the nightwing with her enormous snout, the dark blue dragoness unfolds his body and makes him stand again.
Finally, the young one keeps his eyes open while gazing upon her face, still feeling guilty despite receiving the dragoness' affection far more than before.
Recoiling her head a bit, she lets Darkstalker stand on his own, and he does so as she wished, his calm returning and his mind partially resolving. His shame is being pushed back as his fear of her dissipates, replaced by interest as he begins to realize how much he saw of her past and starts to reciprocate some of her feeling of pity.
Turning to look at the moon again, the nightwing seeks some peace after all those emotions that have shaken him, but his mind does not try to ignore her. Despite his eyes being away from the mystical entity, the young one still listens to her moving thoughts…
Seeing her tail coming back, the seer is joined by the caring giant who comes to gaze at the celestial orb with him, laying at his side carefully despite her titanic form, and hoping for the best.
A short moment later, small steps are heard as the nightwing cuts the small distance between the both of them, partially attracted by her now pleasant mind. And looking at the new moon together, the great dragoness and the young one rests once again...