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Chapter 54: A magical kin joining the group
Hearing the words of his kin, Azykan blinks, frozen in place for a moment before refocusing on the present, his gaze expressing doubt and his tone serious as he speaks to her.
- "Akhanta, yth kenib uthutias ekyzu kasarh sif sveku iole azyrtu ust qeryse, jivun ylfuz, ikul uthu tunis heia cerux prita ythe almu omus vawrie alkary tosum."
- "Aquj uthu tunis ignum yth kes ifyat iole toij ofrenyv ythe hute olmiru, iole soumvu yenuv ijtum yl tozakar." Replies Akhanta in a firm tone, and sure of herself as the young seer finds.
To her response, the kin of fire waits before giving his words, his gaze switching back and forth between his kin and the child on her, and even stumbling on the other young one once, all before speaking anew, his tone partially relaxed.
- "Iole soumvu yenuv ajek wulen, ythe yenuv holcu..."
Being no more opposing, the great dragon walks at the other's side in his own manner, his eyes sometimes glancing at Ikarh and Darkstalker who do not miss the opportunity to look back at him, and get a glimpse of his raw feelings. But in the end, the group grows familiar with his presence, even if the young seer's wariness remains, making him as thoughtful as the fiery kin if not more, a detail that forces the great one to shift his thinking, if only by a bit...
Having marched quite a bit at a steady and necessarily faster pace to keep up with the steps of giant, or else he would have asked for the guardian he trusts to take him on her back as well, the hybrid, like the rest of his group, has not yet finished their little journey through the vast and spacious building. But that may be for the better, at least for him, as when the young seer is gazing at another grand scene depicted on the old walls, dragons being shown in many stances with a unique trail of symbols just below, the great ones' thoughts now concern things more… interesting.
- "Cuxt oij treisim surh yl yukyu yfushka ofemyl?" Asks the dark blue dragoness with simple but unkept curiosity, the image of the radiant body above the Pyramid coming to her mind.
To that question told mundanely, Azykan can not answer right away, the subject that is brought up being too complex and deserving of respect for one who recently worked in it intensely… Instead, the red and orange kin thinks, a lot, his mind populated by imposing concepts and their numerous details to the point Darkstalker can not follow, and silently admits that fact to himself.
"Aqerh uthu tunis vecik yth ust aftomer moltumun azeiw th iole yth linf heia kenib…" Says Akhanta as she intends to help her kin, her voice a loud muttering as the moon like objects still occupies her mind.
Hearing these words, the great dragon begins to think even faster, only to halt seconds later, his answer finally told in a clear voice, though its tone feels lower.
- "Nelkemu, ikul yth heia hefum uthu surh istemulun wulen ust ythetias olmiry prita iole."
To that response, the dark blue kin chuckles, before replying with her mind occupied by scrolls of diagrams, long and calculated discussion, and the memories of working to the edge with her essences and those of others.
- "Heia ashek, oje iole otije uthu surh heia ylfuz zait uthutias Uceixt..."
Using of a quieter, more personal voice, the great dragoness then leans to his side, a gesture impossible to mistake as something other than supportive.
- "Ykane uthu, ythias utnay ryna." Replies naturally the fiery dragon, his voice far quieter but making up in sincerity.
And so it is with his eyes watching the end of that talk between the two great ones that the nightwing continues to follow at his guardian's side, his mind so far from having deciphered the many thoughts of the draconic giants as well as their recent actions. But despite that, Darkstalker knows he must except something big, because there is no way the moon of their making can stay the same after they worked on its related domain enough to mark them…
Arriving at the last area to passes through before the four dragons can reach the shining pillar of steel, the light from above touching the ancient floor and helping the evenly placed glowing crystals in their endeavour. The great dragoness speeds up her pace, eagerness hinted at by her face and explicit in her mind, while the celestial body is sensed by all, its aura already feeling very strong.
What in the… That's the moon, isn't it? The time I was unconscious, the great ones must have improved it... But still, I did not expect its influence to be so… grand.
Looking vaguely around the walls, the power right above him bringing a distraction he can not totally silence, the night dragon is drawn to the young dragoness when his eyes naturally stumble upon her. Standing still on the back of the dark blue guardian, Ikarh appears to quite focused, her head pointing up, just where the somewhat hidden orb of essences is.
- "Yl toij Ikarh suroxon sif surh foisenen sim ythetias olmiry, iole hute surh eximn qinoltun…" Comments the red and orange kin as he glances at the one on his kin's back, the idea of vast quantities of essences surrounding and feeding a greater "egg" coming to his mind.
- "Aquj xatri kes eusho sim yl ulven, aqerh ognut uthu eiuf moxon aftomer tysnuite ust coitumen uthu." Replies Akhanta as she puts a talon over the metallic surface, only to turn and take the young seer in her paw before starting to climb, using only three of her limbs to ascend with little trouble.
Being brought to the final stage of the titanic building, Darkstalker has a short moment to glimpse at what is really radiating above before his guardian puts him down. And now on the marked floor, the hybrid can see what has become of the celestial sphere and its light.
No longer is it a pale light that is emitted, but a warmer one closer to the Sun of Pyrrhia, with a larger spectrum that directly puts to shame the beacon at the vast floor's center, or it would, if said machine was maintaining its old purpose…
But the young seer has little time to contemplate and wonder about it, as he now realizes who is also standing on such a place. So caught up was he in these intriguing discovery, not that it was really a bad or easily avoidable thing, that the smaller dragon forgot to keep his head straight and spot Ayirn at the other half of the area. And now that her fiery kin has left the stage below, she begins to speak, her voice peaceful like her proud but gazing stance.
- "Uthue hute surik alteinmyl peuj yth hute ojtea..."
Turning to face her two kins and the pair of young ones, the blue and green dragoness gently steps closer, her green eyes quickly glancing at the whelp on Akhanta's back, a sight that widens her eyes slightly.
- "Ko, Darkstalker hute surik sim yth, kes iole ajek jyin yth hute teneij sim yl dezfue ust yl uh temylkose, kes hute pleosim Ikarh hute surh olvetuhen." Says the dark blue kin as she remembers the nightwing coming to her and finding the young dragoness awake, her tone more confident.
Hearing these words, Ayirn's thoughtful mind becomes almost fully focused on her living creation, making her step closer as her curiosity grows for the young Ikarh who, above all else, stares at radiant moon whose light is rivalled by none.
A great object indeed, though with how the central beacon has changed… Is the machine now related to it?
- "Cuxt heij ajek yl sefrit?" Asks the kin of fire quite bluntly, his gaze never settling on one of the dragonesses, but remaining observant of the greater scene, even casting a few glances at the young ones.
- "Yl sefrit linj ajek sif gystis yl smyvar yl toijyles muka nestoq yl yukyu yfushka..." Tells the kin of magic before anyone else, her eyes having pointed one time at the young seer, as her mind pictures him and Ikarh in relation with the "moon" above.
- "Aquj iole gystos pyteya surh earta." Replies Akhanta directly, voicing her thoughts with a clear voice as she thinks of the ones she decided to take care of.
- "Yth hefum iole surh kalup peuj foyeum…" Comments Azykan in a more casual tone, the great dragon partially settling down by folding his massive talons, his extended but relaxing wings inviting others to do the same.
Nodding simply in response, the magical kin settles down as well, her long and finned tail now laying on the floor like the second half of her imposing body, before Akhanta decides to follow the others and lets her body partially rest, a grand movement that changes little as the nightwing remains at her side, and the young dragoness stays ever so captivated by the celestial entity…
- "Yth hute oxtup iole ysil, ikul zikos yl ekium sif zaptoe th vaieb…" Tells calmly Ayirn as she looks at her dark blue kin, and glances at the fiery one, before her head drifts away to point at the horizon where countless little dots of light can be seen, then moves higher to gaze upon the glorious orb in the sky.
"Heij geyt ythetias olmiry ghyt uthue hefum?"
To that innocent question under the light of warmer source, Darkstalker remains as observant as ever, and keeping his focus, he can first see in the minds around feelings, feelings toward that moon of their own making and its power. But difficulties arise as the seer must decides on who to really keep the track of.
His eyes darting in between the trio of great dragons, the young dragon finally settles on Ayirn, who he still finds is the most suspicious of the group, and the one most prone to answer the many questions that appeared in his mind since he came to this dead world.
But what he did not expect, however, was for his guardian to break the silence.
- "Iujash. Iole moon oje Darkstalker tyron th, ajek yl u sultov ythe surh alceimi sif emruti oueryk sim iolez eiatysnu trufene, kes sif eltupa ythetias mura itizru." Declares Akhanta with increasing energy in her voice, but also a tone mildly more personal with a kindness that did not left.
- "Yth hefum oje uthu okarn, ikul yth omku moxon zait yl yukyu yfushka aftomer iole Ankonalmirh soumeiuf hute ghyt…" Adds Azykan to his hopeful companion, his less pronounced tone surprising the others as he has in mind the form of the First Dragon being in the sky, creating and moulding a celestial orb of their own essences.
- "Vezkit, emio ythe dolmukarane muka olmukara kes tunis zernu yl keibyr ust olmiry." Says Ayirn in response, her talon risen and circled by bright symbols as she speaks, a feeling of pride colouring her mind...
Thinking about what has been said but only vaguely understanding that, the nightwing spots, as his gaze leaves the pensive great dragon, the mystical form of Ikarh still gazing at moon, and that is enough to make him hear her mind, then sigh. As he "feared", the immature dragoness is totally oblivious to everything else except the one entity she is on and the one that is above, their almost blinding essences being all that matter for her.
Ikarh… you really need to find other things worthy of focus, and dragons too…
Feeling the sudden touch of another on her talon, Akhanta turns to see it is the young seer who is trying to get her attention, and when the gazes of both cross, he speaks in a clear louder voice to be heard.
- "Akhanta, please lay Ikarh down, she needs it."
Watching the hybrid designating the other of matching size, then his own back, before pointing at the ground, the great dragoness is understanding enough, and shifting her gaze toward the one she transports, just the time to check on her and realize how out of touch she really is, the dark blue guardian takes her young one, and with gentle care puts the blue and purple one on the not so colder floor.
- "Ikarh, pelyle kovtur nestoq ythe…" Mutters Akhanta as she pats the youngling on the head, her two claws helping the other's gaze to focus on her own while the young seer steps closer to his side, all under the watch of the other kins.
- "Heij ajek yl tozakar nestoq Ikarh?" Finally asks Azykan, doubt tainting his face as he observes the little whelp.
Carefully watching the situation, it is Ayirn who give an answer to the fiery kin, her mind focused on the essences flowing in the bright but smaller dragoness as she speaks, her tone doubtless and informative.
- "Thatias ivulnun hute sitrilm heia oltem uzgi, iole ajek ujaie thatias kumista surh olnamrahen wein olmukara..."
- "Iole ajek ujaie yther muka yl qerys sif olvumt ust Za." Adds Akhanta she seems to keep an eye on the immature whelp, her voice one of certainty as she remembers her time at the temple long ago, all the while a nightwing also watches over her, his closeness with his companion hinting at some devotion.
Looking at Ikarh, his wing extended to cover her back, Darkstalker ignores, for a moment, the thoughts and words of the great ones, preferring to be fully there for his partner and let her know it. Of course, such a behaviour is not lost for his guardian, who simply takes note of that as she continues her talk with the others...
- "Ikarh, please focus on me, I know even a hatchling such as you can do it… you already did it before."
Ending his sentence, the dark hybrid leans even closer, daring to put a paw on her neck. And seeing with that even then, Ikarh still keeps her focus on what is right above her, Darkstalker decides that something drastic must be done. So taking a breath, it is with a grand but swift move of her wing and talon, that the hybrid puts the young dragoness in his embrace, opening his eyes just after she finally turned to him, then realizing all the great dragons are staring at him.
- "Cuxt uthu mylfus muesine wulen prita tha..." Mutters the dark blue guardian as she glances at the pair, quite surprised, before looking back at her kins.
Hearing her voice, the nightwing quickly lessens the closeness with Ikarh, now facing the rest of scene and correcting his stance, all before the blue and green kin speaks again, her tone growing slightly impatient.
- "Iole ajek ejurh… Ikul lieju ythe tunis crumes sif gystis thee ofemyl? Thee soumvu yenuv surh lihotu."
Nodding simply in response, the great dragoness named Akhanta begins to stand, unfolding the talons of her massive body to rise, before staring at the smaller couple, and inviting them with a swift gesture of her paw to move aside.
So finally we will do something more than resting there? I hope that won't bring me too much trouble, but I doubt it's possible in such situation. Well, better be safe than sorry…
Having taken a few steps to distance himself, Darkstalker realizes once again as his eyes stumble upon the blue and purple one that such a youngling moved little since. But fortunately for her, the grand guardian sees nothing wrong with it, and stepping back with her giant form, the dark blue kin shifts to a more prepared stance, her wings unfolding partially and glowing a tad more.
"Ofemyl ythe tunis yafin." Declares the magical kin, her voice not too loud but still resonating from the Pyramid's zenith, before she begins to draw runes on the marked floor, quickly followed by her two companions.
Staying where he is, with the second half of his body closer to the ground, but still ready to give its strength when needed, the young seer watches the trio of great ones creating a very large circle of symbols, their work all around him and the youngest dragoness, who as expected, now looks back at the celestial object, though the feelings she gets from others are a bit more present in her feeble mind, that he can tell…
Finishing their unified circle, all of it glowing faintly with the essences of their own beings, the elder dragons decides it is time to trigger the ritual, and with a combined impulsion coming from their paws, the three kins force what burn inside the young ones to expand, to be more free and explicit, exposed for all to see in details and not just felt.
In the center of such an energetic web, Darkstalker gets the confirmation, if he did not before, that his new powers, the ones of his flame that he began to truly feel since he came to such a desolate world, have been growing. But that is not what he finds the most interesting. What he does, is what he sees as he gazes upon Ikarh.
At the center of a bright web as well, except this one is bigger, thinker and more coloured, the young dragoness having yet to speak a single word is showing all of what is flowing inside her, and it is beautiful…
But that is not the end of the ritual, as the draconic giants now look above, but not straight above their heads. And all rising a paw in sync, but not too much, the trio seems, with their united gesture, to intensify the light of the glorious orb, to bring more of its power down, if only a little. And it is due to that event, that Ayirn and her two followers can see how the webs signatures of the younglings' being are further affected by the moon.
- "Cuxt th surh oje ythe hute qinolt…" Comments Azykan in a more surprised tone, his watchful eyes keeping track of scene like those of his kins.
- "Igos vaieb, yth hute konurt yth surh feshur ignum yl ospyk ust ythetias olmiruhan. Ythetias feny surh yl ejurhajyl, ythe tunis heia estrerak iole." Says Ayirn in a clear and declarative voice, the image of the fourth winged divinity, as well as one of herself and her kins taking such care to feed the one that would be finally born coming to her mind
Casting only a quick glance at her blue and green kin, Akhanta is the first to step inside the circle, its magic beginning to affect her, but not being effective on a great being such as her, and now inside, the dark blue dragoness hesitates not as she approaches the two, her focused gaze morphing into a kind one as she finally halts, bringing her majestic form just before the pair of young ones who stare back at her.
With a grin growing on her snout, the draconic giantess finally settles down, and laying a more extended talon on the ancient ground, she simply waits there, her sharp senses giving all that she needs without even moving much as the ritual seems to fade, its light dimming all around…
"Cuxt yth surh feshur moxon uthu hute cerux sif omku olvumt ust Ikarh… Uthu zikos u toij aljalteska." Tells the kin of green and blue as she ventures inside the circle, her eyes only casting quick glances at the young ones while her gaze remains on Akhanta.
Hearing such words, the dark blue guardian is being reminded of the time she found with two others the explicitly laying body of Darkstalker, alone in a room he was not ready to enter. And to such a sight, the trio decided to bring all the way to a fitting chamber. Then, her mind is occupied by another memory, that of Ikarh hatching under their supervision, the blue and purple one finally showing herself and shaking the kins' mind, her own most of all.
Returning to reality, her thoughts now more organized, the great dragoness rises her head and finally replies to the other, her voice warm and coming from the heart.
- "Th surh zait ythias ezyku sif olvumt ust yl altemylkesyle, kes yth, oje uthue, pleosim oij alest iole suikan tohem thomej sylis almu iole mylmyl."
- "Jykon prita uthu ythias ryna…" Adds the red and orange kin while he turns away, preferring to step closer to the central beacon, the altered machine drawing his gaze, but not really...
Finally, the magic of the ritual is no more, and the webs of essences vanished as well, leaving Ikarh and Darkstalker no longer exposed, but still very close to their guardian, and to the magical kin who remains farther but still near, her green eyes observant of the three.
So the test is over, and without any trouble… Good.
Turning to at Akhanta's face, the young seer gets from her mind the dragoness has an idea, one where he sees her and himself flying with others, travelling over the lands. And spotting his pensive attitude as she leans her big head closer, the dark blue kin unexpectedly decides to turn aside, where the youngest one stands in silence.
- "Uthu muke velt alest sif lioshes ythias utnay Ikarh…" Mutters the great dragoness as she approaches her claws with care until they end up just below the smaller one's belly.
Being just near the scene, Darkstalker watches his guardian grab his companion, and with a swift but kind movement she already did a few times, puts her on back, confusing her but less this time, the seer seeing in her immature mind a growing sense of familiarity.
With the added presence of the blue and purple whelp on her back, Akhanta can now do what she has in mind, or at least begin to as she marches away, leaving her kins and the younger nightwing on their own, though not for long.
- "Ythias ryna, heij ajek uthu surh feshur ghyt?" Asks simply Ayirn as her head follows her dark blue companion, her talons extending in the meantime.
- "Teneij sif xymri nestoq ythetias feny." Answers the dragoness approaching the edge of the vast floor, facing the horizon and its little light while she chuckles for a second.
Seeing the young seer running to catch up to her, the magical kin understands her idea, and in reaction, first starts to fetch Azykan, the fiery kin having kept an eye on the group, but seeming too occupied by the new mechanism of the central beacon, his paw calmly holding an interesting part…
Arriving at the limit of the Pyramid's top, the wind blowing all around while the warmer moon gives its light, the dark blue dragoness finally halts, and so does the young hybrid. But when she extends her wings and lowers her body, his voice is heard clearly.
- "Akhanta, please stop! Take me with Ikarh before soaring."
Feeling Darkstalker putting a talon on her own, the great dragoness turns to him. And seeing how he points at the one on her back, and lays a second paw on her dark blue scales, the grand guardian decides to grab and put him on her scales as well, placing the nightwing on the same spot as Ikarh who does not mind, where her heartbeat is far clearer.
- "Ofemyl iole uthue uh surh lihotu…"
Casting a last glance behind her, Akhanta feels satisfied when she sees her to kins catching up to her.
"Ythe tunis xymri!"
And it is with these loud words that the grand dragoness soars in the sky, unfolding her massive talons and their essences to bring her majestic form in the air, before her gigantic wings keeps that momentum with impressive beats of their own.
Now that they are flying along with the two giants following, Darkstalker keeps his blue and purple partner close to him, his embrace holding her quite tightly so she could not fall without him if an accident happened. And looking before him, the presence of others having varying brightnesses, the dark hybrid smiles...