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Chapter 41: Getting closer before the unexpected reunion
Approaching the doors of the immense training room, their old surface always bearing the drawing of the dragon god looking at their watchers' eyes, Darkstalker remains thoughtful yet motivated to go forward like his great guardian.
Since the moment they had left the water and took the time to dry themselves, the two dragons have never been thinking for so long yet felt like it was natural to have their minds occupied by their last interactions. Partially in disbelief of their recent acts, although the nightwing had a harder time believing what he had done, the pair have been trying often, in their own ways, to look closer to the other and find the answers to their hearts' questions, but never had the will to fully cross their gazes and express what they think.
But things will change as they arrive at the titanic entrance, wanting nothing more than to enter and test themselves on the floor behind. So standing up, it is Akhanta who puts her front paws on the two doors and pushes them with all the strength of her massive talons, quickly and widely opening the entrance…
Hearing the loud noise no more, the young one follows the dragoness as she enters into a familiar place, preparing for the tests she planned for him and herself in the short moment it takes for them to settle.
- "Toijyl."
The nightwing does not wait to look directly at her, his gaze a confident one that she expected.
"Lieju uthu surh lihotu… sif crumes?"
Hearing her firmer voice and seeing in her mind the little challenge she has in store for him, the little hybrid nods, tensing the muscles of his talons for what is to come and making the dragoness grin.
"Aquj ythe crumes!"
It is with these passionate words that Akhanta folds her back talons, readying herself in front of an eager little one before mustering her power and jumping gloriously, stripping herself from the ground and fiercely flapping her gigantic wings to start flying, impressing Darkstalker as he ends his dodge and looks back at her flying form…
That… is a way to begin our test, by exceeding my expectations.
Having nothing better to do than following her, the young one tries to keep up with her by running as fast as he can, but such an attempt is futile, though he does mind it, as he feels that his guardian will come back soon, probably to catch him up… Seeing her turn, the hybrid prepares, folding his talons and charging them with more essences, having in mind to jump when the great one will descend and cover the ground with her wings.
Now!
A flash of light is produced as Darkstalker brings himself in the air, passing over the giant's wing with ease before gliding behind for a short while and landing. Breathing faster and feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the hybrid refocuses on his opponent, strengthening his stance as he watches the great one returning to him, planing something very different...
Turning his back and jumping away at the last moment, the nightwing sees behind a cloud of sparks the great dragoness beating the wings in front of her, brutally slowling herself and creating a powerful burst of wind while she ascends a little before landing, her back talons touching the floor first.
"Uthu surh feshur ghyt masne toijyl." Declares Akhanta satisfied as she falls back on her four talons, relaxing her muscles just after.
- "I know, I am quite resourceful with my young and little body."
Snorting in amusement, the giant dragoness thinks for a few seconds before an idea passes through her mind.
- "Uthu oxtup prita kalup oskurtaz?"
To her mind being curious and eager to test him bluntly, Darkstalker smirks, daring to stare straight into her and lean his head daringly, before retrieving and stepping back, taking a defying stance as she blinks.
Seeing all of that, the great guardian only waits for a second before stepping forward, beginning her hunt of him as the young one knows how to run away…
For the next few minutes, the nightwing does his best in the vast room to escape the great dragoness, using his size and agility to evade her claws while his power deep inside helps him in a way he can not refuse, enhancing his physical capabilities as well as his endurance, something that oddly feels so natural… As for Akhanta, it is obvious for her target that she still restrains herself, both to keep him in a perpetual state of tension and because such a body is not adapted to catch a little one, and who knows what wrong could be done if she tried with everything she had…
Jumping at the side once more, the nightwing who thought he could get out of trouble hits a dark blue veil suddenly appearing. Falling to the ground and confused, Darkstalker stands up and is about to run once more when the same wing is retrieved, forcefully bringing him near its owner.
"Uthu surh uftelen toijyl." Says the dragoness with exaggerated pride as she pats him on the head with two claws.
A bit hurt in his ego, the nightwing does one of these face before snapping back to what matters.
"Ikul kalup olmrekahen, yth hefum th surh yl mylmyl ythe gystis uthutias olkashy." Says Akhanta as she rises a paw and makes it glow with her essences, having in mind to see him use more of his inner powers.
Getting what they will do next, the young one kind of nods, before looking down at his paw and infusing it with essences. Feeling no difficulty whatsoever at calling his own power, the nightwing looks back at the great dragoness and accepts her terms, the confidence and eagerness having returned in his eyes…
Following the dark blue giant further in the vast and mystical room, passing near some crystals producing a pale light and walking over the ancient and robust stone bearing countless markings, Darkstalker and his guardian settle down a moment after, the first looking at the second as she folds her back talons and partially extends her front ones, bringing herself closer to his level despite her neck staying curled, a clear distinction for her role of teacher.
Rising a big paw coloured by her power, Akhanta watches the young one immediately imitating the gesture, and grin slightly before speaking with a more energetic voice.
"Yth moxon uthu kasarh sif ignum yth toijyl… jykon."
Recoiling her head a bit as she raises her talon further, the great dragoness continues.
"Ofemyl ythe eiuf teneij sif crumes."
As soon as she says her last word, essences start to emanate from her claws like she thought, growing into into a denser cloud in front of the nightwing.
"Moneos sif uftel iole!"
Hearing her louder voice, Darkstalker swings his talon above as the masse of energies is thrown at him, morphing like a cloud being slammed into before condensing on his arm.
- "It is done."
Having watched the young one's action in its entirety, the great one blinks, impressed, before starting the next step of their exercise… Retrieving her front talons to stand up, Akhanta slowly unfolds her wing as she charges her chest and belly with essences, creating a growing aura visible even for the naked eye.
- "Yth muka heia kemos iole uthu zikos ythias olmukara, ikul heif yth oxtup ust uthu ajek sif kovtur zait th kes acetof yl alkara uthu tunis dweshi tey th." Says the dragoness as she still stares at the young one, this time expecting him to remain close to her and interact with the power around.
Understanding the vague concepts he deduces, the little seer begins to call for the essences around, focusing on the desire to take them, but that is far from the best he can do, and his mind as well as the sun deep inside him know it. So closing his eyes, the nightwing listens to his heart, and attempts not just to attract and take, but to connect and integrate the power that flows around him…
A few minutes passes, and the field of essences generated by the dark blue giant is now partially bent and attracted by Darkstalker, as if he was a heavy chunk put on an otherwise flat and suspended fabric.
"Mylfus umteyu sif oulnav kes folgyst zait uyl iqulme? Zutias alomyk surh eiotof." Whispers Akhanta as she continues to observe the scene with curious and impressed eyes.
But as another minute passes and the attraction he creates become stronger, the young one frows, a stress being added to his mind as all the essences freed by his guardian seem to now be affected, as even the farthest bits lean slowly but surely into him…
Restore it
The nightwing opens his eyes, suddenly snapping back into reality and breaking his act.
Surprised, the great dragoness stops her act as well, and takes a step forward, partially leaning into him and curling her neck around to better watch over him. Seeing for a few seconds his silence and mildly confused stare as the essences somewhat dissipate, Akhanta talks, her voice containing a hint of worry.
"Heij uthu hute moxon iti hute fushoz toijyl?"
- "I- Yth…"
- "Uthu huko heij uthu hute zikos… Yth gynhim." Says the dragoness as her blues eyes recoil and turn away, while her mind clearly remembers of a few young and fragile ones frowning like him, overwhelmed by essences.
- "Akhanta?"
- "Zait iole tetrumi, ythe minf ghyt aftomer leaqis… aftomer moekanihan artufo..."
Thinking deeply about the last exercise and its results, about the power of Darkstalker and his very being, and reminding herself of what they have added to it, and of his suffering on the altar, the great dragoness finally concludes, turning to face the unsure nightwing.
"Ignum yth." Says the dragoness in a neutral tone, the image of the "moon" and the top of their house clear in her mind.
Surprised by her attitude, the young one hesitates as he stares into her more expecting gaze, before joining her, mouth silenced as he leans in her path, though his eyes never leave her face…
Having walked back to the entrance alongside his guardian, Darkstalker exits the training room just after she does, with an expression hinting at his unfulfilled state while he continues on the path set for him. But as minutes passes as the pair goes through the many corridors of the Pyramid in the certain hope of reaching its top, a though breaks the young one's current mood.
Why am I even staying affected like that. Come on Darkstalker, you won't let a few words and thoughts of her sadden you.
"Lieju aftomer surh upist?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, the nightwing's head immediately turns to face the more doubtful gaze of his giant caretaker, but words are what he lacks in the moment.
"Ythe feshur teneij sim yl ulven ust ythetias jienum, sim u egado uje uthu tunis watch yl yfushka nestoq yth, nestoq nolmui kes asfemy yihe iole ajek heij uthu kasarh…" Says Akhanta to him, imagining him and herself at the highest floor, with nothing to stop them from gazing upon the sky and its essences in peace, yet doubt and growing incomprehension taint her mind.
Gazing back at the little one and his confused blue eyes, the guardian speaks again, her mind fully focused on him this time.
"Yth heia eximn gynhim… Uthu mesita azeiw?"
The question is told, and for a moment, the nightwing does not answer, does understand her nor why her mind shifted its focus entirely on him and what is weighting him and the image of herself, until he realizes it.
- "I have a doubt about you Akhanta."
Hearing her name in his words, the dragoness thinks for a short moment, not really looking at anything with her deep blue eyes and letting her ears twitching, before speaking again.
- "Uthu mesita azeiw..."
Halting her sentence, Akhanta puts a paw on her chest while her mind still focuses on the young one and that state of mind that troubles him.
"yth?"
Hearing the full question, Darkstalker puts the pieces together in an instant, and as he nods, he answer with a clear voice.
- "Ko."
To his answer, the great dragoness blinks, before her eyes looks out there and she becomes thoughtful, her mind flashing with images of the very close past, before her last word in the training room come to her mind. Slightly turning her neck away from the nightwing, the great one's eyes nonetheless look back at him.
- "Uthu hute surh mesitahen dueti ust ythias ifultu kes ovykme…" Says Akhanta to the both of them, voicing her thought to make it feel more real despite her tone being distant and slower.
"Yth surh nelkemu uthu hute moxon yth zait iole telast Darkstalker."
Hearing her second sentence in a faster and more emotional voice, the young one despite not understanding her completely, takes a little step forward and replies in a tone reflecting his expression, unsure and distant, but trying be warm and helpful.
- "I… thank you of the attention you give me Akhanta."
Staring at his unsure but attentive eyes, the dragoness bears a faint smile, before turning back on their path and resuming the walk, her mind now more focused at the little hybrid despite not looking at him as she leads the both of them through their house…
Travelling alongside her, the seer is in a better mood than before, feeling and accepting what lingers in his guardian's mind toward himself, though he can not stop his curiosity and so dives deep in her thoughts, wanting to watch in details the attraction and care Akhanta has for him… As expected, she can not stop herself from comparing him to the little ones from her past, even if it is mostly a subconscious reasoning.
But continuing his observation, Darkstalker spots a set of things, a web of feelings partially in the shadow, but still linked to the feeling of affection, even if it is more abstract… Ikarh, such is the name given to the great ones' creation and, according to the dragoness' mind, to the dragon that will be born. She has little idea about what it will be, about its form, its colours, its scales… but what she is sure of is that it will be child having the blood and essences of everyone, helpless and absolutely ignorant in their world.
So it is indeed your child and mine as well… Like me, but even more lost… A dragonet, a hatchling… It's a pity I lost my foresight, but my maybe I could see something of it well before it happens…
.
Arriving close enough to the destination, the nightwing lets himself be taken by his great guardian, put against her scales and held tightly as she climbs the last pillar leading to the final floor… Touching the not so cold stone with her talons, the giant dragoness gently lays Darkstalker at her side before resuming her walk in a far slower manner, gazing upon what is front of her to the horizon, but also never forgetting the light of the moon now even stronger that blesses their house and the lands around.
Following her while looking around him as well, the young one differentiates himself as he looks far above, almost losing sight of where he goes to as he observes the celestial body, completely in admiration of it, be it for all the essences that course through such a thing, or its overall surreal appearance being so close to three object that give their light to another world in the night…
- "Zait ebarenon ust yl yukyu yfushka?" Asks Akhanta with a quieter voice, her blue eyes staring at him with contentment and curiosity.
Abruptly focusing back on her, the little hybrid's eyes stumble upon the dragoness with an attitude that fits his own very well, with the peaceful mind having that sense of wonder similar to his own despite their difference…
- "Yth…"
Blinking and smiling, the dark blue giant leans her head closer to him before turning it to the sky, pointing where the artificial but nonetheless beautiful moon is, before speaking again, in the same tone as before.
- "Uthu surh velt amuk tey feshur surh upist jyin uthu moxon oem th toijyl. Ikul yth bastot, heij uthu moxon zait iole yfushka?"
- "Huko." Says simply Darkstalker, not understanding her enough to give a different answer, but a quick glance at his face shows he remains content where he is, calmly joyful as he grows to like her matching attitude with the passing minutes.
- "Aquj surik omus ythias quires." Replies the great one to the other's surprise as she lays her left talon closer to him, her shifting gaze telling of her intent.
Drifting his eyes away from the sky, the young one stares at his guardian, taking a moment to think. And after seeing curiosity and encouragement colouring her mind, the little seer joins her and climbs on her paw, all before he is brought higher by the dragoness, making him panic for a split second before he realizes such a movement of her is a gentle one, all under her control despite the size difference between the two of them…
"Moxon vaieb oem yl yukyu ythias utnay toijyl, iole ajek ujaie yth hute emruti uthu tsekat." Says Akhanta with a more joyful and motivated voice, holding the nightwing almost as high as she can with her talon.
Gazing upon the sky once again like the great dragoness wants him to, Darkstalker makes sure to note in a corner of his mind how she seems to consider him even more like the dragonets of her past, with pleasant and nostalgic memories coming back like so many minds he listened when he was in his tribe, in his kingdom, in Pyrrhia...
Finding the moon and its light enchanting to watch over directly, the nightwing nonetheless has his focus drifting a bit as he grows to like what is touched by its pale light, until his gaze switches to that of the lands around his new home, all blessed and made interesting, and even beautiful to look at if a bit sad, by the presence of the celestial body…
"Feshur moxon oem iolez trufen?" Whispers the great one, internally surprised by how the hybrid is captivated by something far less radiant, before understanding that behaviour.
"Cuxt uthu surh heai muvol foisen sim olmukara kes tomers hajun ust mohul kes elcyfe? Yth soumhute yenuv kenib…" Declares the dragoness as her mind thinks of the little one as a dragon being more than a youngling full of energy and lacking patience, and scolds herself for believing that crude idea for even a second.
Turning partially his head, Darkstalker hears the thoughts of the great one changing, focusing on the ones she cared about in the ancient past, when she was still in her temple, in the dragon kingdom that was still standing. Listening carefully to that despite not looking at her, the young seer is almost surprised when he sees all these new thoughts and image flashing about those that lived close enough to her, by how they are so vivid despite being blurry and confusing, as if the dragoness is clinging into something that she does not remember well…
"Uthu zikos ythias kumista surh lezerunen?"
Not surprised at all by the young one's behaviour just before her words, the dragoness slowly lowers her talon, taking a peaceful moment to bring him to the ground despite his somewhat confused state.
Staring at him for a short silent moment, Akhanta then looks away, turning her huge body and stepping even closer to the floor's edge, bringing her to a spot where she can start her flight should she wants to.
Following behind his guardian as nothing else matters enough to him in such a place, Darkstalker quietly watches over her, somewhat hesitant as he gets from the great one's mind the obvious something that calls to her, just before it is contained as the dark blue giant partially turns to face him, her face inviting him to act one way or another…
- "Yth… Akhanta?" Says the nightwing, his voice plagued by moderate doubt as feels himself being judged by his guardian whose blue eyes look at him from above, their gaze closer to what he imagine would be from a teacher.
- "Surik toijyl." Replies the giant dragoness with a more energetic voice, having in mind for him to be under her wing.
Placing himself on her right side, the young one finds himself covered from above as his guardian fully unfolds her magnificent wings and turns to face the lands below, with a few words leaving her mouth as she contemplates the varying shades of greys being sublimed by the moonlight, something the great being is still unfamiliar with.
"Lieju uthu kasarh sif acetof kalup ust uthutias xefnuit? Lieju uthu kasarh sif ofeldy ywultean zait ythetias tumok ust neiatome?"
Getting from his little sound that the little hybrid takes a step further, Akhanta gazes upon him from the corner of her eyes, turning her head slightly as she still reads some doubt from him. Having a new idea in mind, the dragoness extends a talon behind the young dragon, gently pushing him before walking at a serene pace.
"Ythetias tumok… Th hute surh velt oltem uzgi iole th hute jukin akeju almeku, velt oltem uzgi iole th hute nolmytu eianoueryk..." Says the great one as she follows the edge of the place, her head turning away as she watches the landscape and the sky, all the while memories of the world before its destruction and after in its almost unchanging dead state come back to her.
"Lieju uthu tunis moxon tey ythias kumista heij yth vecik uthu?" Asks Akhanta as she stares again at the young hybrid, lowering her head while her gaze is simple and curious, one that he can not see as ominous even he had no hint about her.
- "Now you remember, you see a shadow of what your world once was, and you miss it once again?" Replies Darkstalker, his words and sincere tone not directly answering the great one's question, but the intent to act is there.
Blinking, the giant recoils her thoughtful head before her blue eyes gaze once again from a higher place, just to lower her head again in a movement as odd as it is impressive for the nightwing.
- "Lieju uthu feshur zaptoe nestoq uthutias ifultu u xetiso sif ythias xeito?" Asks back the guardian in semi whispers, slowly moving around him as she wonders if he understands her, if he answered to the complex feelings she put into words.
- "Ko?" Answers Darkstalker, nodding with uncertainty while the giant dragoness continues to move around, turning her body until she faces him but also the moon with that little glance she casts at it.
Fully turning back to the floor's edge and the lands starting soon after it, the elder guardian takes a few steps in this new direction, silently inviting the hybrid to follow in her titanic talon steps before he rises his head and gazes upon the celestial body a short moment after she does.
- "Toijyl, emio uthu muka uthutias eastu kumista kes iute kes ifultu, lieju uthu tunis acetof the sif vecik yth ust heij uthu zikos?" Asks Akhanta, the longer telling of her question colouring her mind with wonder about the young one that she imagines staring at the moon, as well as saying his words so foreign to her.
- "Yth… yth…"
Moving her massive talon behind the nightwing, the grand dragoness extends it to go further than him until it stops in that stance pointing just above her, where the sphere of essences radiates.
- "Jaku Darkstalker, jaku nestoq uthutias ekyzu." Declares the dark blue guardian, inciting the little hybrid to speak as they both watch over the greatest giver of light in the sky.
- "What do you want me to… say about that... moon?" Tells the nightwing to the great one, his voice uncertain and cut shortly after the telling of his sentence.
- "Moon… Heij ajek moon?" Says the dark blue one dumbfounded as she turns to him, her eyes begging for answer about Darkstalker's last word.
- "Moon?"
- "Ko."
Seeing his guardian nodding, the young nightwing looks back at the celestial sphere and invites her to do the same.
- "Moon."
- "Yl yukyu yfushka ajek moon? Iole ajek moon?" Asks Akhanta as she focuses on the mass of essences serenely radiating above her, on her and her kin's creation which the world never knew something similar no matter how much one digs in the past.
- "Ko."
- "Cuxt moon ajek yl tekel uthu mulys sim vawrie u yfushka..." Whispers the dragoness to herself, wondering about how the little one saw such a thing in his past.
And for the next long moment, such guardian remains thoughtful, her eyes going back and forth between the young one and their radiant creation, the concept of dragons mostly black like him with stars between their scale and having a strange tongue coming to her mind. Strange dragons living in a world full of life and where sky is blessed by a simple yet elegant accumulation of essences.
Such a reasoning on her part is, of course, not missed one bit by the seer who faithfully listens to the great dragoness' mind, watching over so well he can make out her full surprise at the thought some like him could have a very deep link with a moon, as if they could take and give from it at will, and may even have made such a thing…
- "Akhanta… Yth… I… I don't think such thoughts of your are true…"
Focusing fully on the little hybrid, Akhanta is caught off guard by his words, though she stays silence and presents a calmer face at the realization he listened to that long speculation of her, marking the start of a little silence as Darkstalker struggles to find a way to tell her of the concepts behind his words.
Finally, the nightwing steps back, an idea in his mind giving him the strength to act, and so turns back to go toward the massive beacon occupying the floor's center, followed a moment after by the massive guardian whose gaze remains uncertain if more hopeful.
- "Yth… heia… that." Says the young one as he points a talon at the imposing and wondrous construct that fortunately only gives light by a beam starting higher than even the height of a great dragon, sparing any watcher on the floor from being blinded.
- "Lieju uthu heia heij… azeiw yl felsholka? Lieju uthu heia gynhim th? Lieju uthu hute moxon astutomer owhur sim th zait uthutias iute?" Asks the dark blue giant, wondering if the hybrid is not viewing the beacon as something mysterious, or even something completely new and foreign to him.
- "Huko." Answers Darkstalker while expressing a negative response with his head.
More than a little surprised, Akhanta has just the time to register that info before the young hybrid quickly rises his head to stare at the celestial sphere, uttering the same words again in a more confident tone.
- "Yth heia that."
Getting the same words from him on that object was something she least expected, the grand dragoness nonetheless takes the time to think and arrive at a conclusion a lot closer to the truth.
- "Uthu heia eximn gynhim vawrie… elomerz, iti heia wulen, oem fiku tiulm ineuj peuj yth kes ythias rynaz, ikul uthu hute moxon the. Yth gynhim ofemyl…" Says Akhanta to the young one, concluding he has seen things like the moon and the beacon, but does not understand them that much.
Turning her eyes away from the bright creation, the dragoness was about to fully look back at him when her sharp gaze spots two dots in the distance. Stopping in her track, she remains immobile to the little one's surprise, her eyes blinking and ears twitching as her very sharp senses focus on such distant targets, until the image of Ayirn and Kraydirn appears in the great one's mind.
- "Cuxt thee surh feshur jernup..."
Almost shocked by that fact, Darkstalker nonetheless folows the giant in silence as she slowly walks toward the edge of the place, her stare never leaving the dots in the dark sky while her mind remembers the last time they were together before leaving.
"Ythe eiuf moxon yihe yth muka aftomer sif marlka…" Utters Akhanta more to herself than to the young hybrid, her mind colouring itself with more negative feelings as she anticipates her kins' return.
And so the pair waits on the top of the pyramid, happier feelings having left them as they realize what is happening, though where the grand guardian still makes the effort to stand and be imposing for what is to come, the nightwing mostly hope to stay more behind the scenes, the time things calm down between kins if tension ever rises enough between them...