The Game of Life

11. M'Lady

𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖘 𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖑𝖎𝖋𝖊? 𝕬 𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖞 𝖔𝖋 𝖕𝖆𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓;

𝕺𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖍 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖚𝖘𝖎𝖈 𝖔𝖋 𝖉𝖎𝖛𝖎𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓;

𝕺𝖚𝖗 𝖒𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖘' 𝖜𝖔𝖒𝖇𝖘 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖙𝖎𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌-𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖊𝖘 𝖇𝖊,

𝖂𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖜𝖊 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖙 𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖉𝖞.

~ '𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘𝓼 𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓛𝓲𝓯𝓮' 𝓫𝔂 𝓢𝓲𝓻 𝓦𝓪𝓵𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓡𝓪𝓵𝓮𝓲𝓰𝓱

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"It's about time I put you out of your misery."

Kagayaku's mind officially shut down. Not because she had just died, but because she was about to die. The young hybrid thought she could cheat death, in fact, she found it fun and easy. She thought that Mepuru would be there to help her through this, but now that she was here, it felt like she had just abandoned her. Makoto's talons dug into her cheek, drawing blood. The hybrid closed her eyes as the deity laughed at her. This was it.

The wind howled around her as everything became eerily silent, but she could still think. She opened one eye, and noticed Makoto staring at her with widened eyes. HUH? The hybrid's eyes widened as well, shocked. Am I immortal? OH MY, THIS IS GREAT. HAH. IN YOUR FACE MAKOTO. She thought, a laugh escaping her snout. The deity began snarling and digging her talons into her cheek even more, causing an intense stinging pain that caused the dragonet to yelp. Makoto has death touch, why isn't she using it? I mean, maybe I am totally invincible and animus cursed, which would be cool, but what if... She's holding back? But why? She hates me, so why isn't she murdering the hell out of me? Thoughts began bombarding the hybrid's head as the fear began to wear off, confusion replacing it quickly.

Kagayaku stared at Makoto's angry face as she continued to snarl while clawing at the hybrid's face. She began to wince from the pain, but tried to hold it back.

Then, a look of exhaustion suddenly appeared onto the deity's face as her bloodied talons fell from her face, smearing onto the bench they were sitting on. Kagayaku quickly placed a talon over the wound as she watched Makoto get off the bench and glare at her. "Next time, Kagayaku." She hissed, saying the hybrid's name with venom in her tone. "I will kill you." She shot her one last glare before flying off into the fog, leaving Kagayaku bleeding on the bench, just her, herself and her thoughts.

What the heck just happened? The hybrid thought, narrowing her eyes as she stared at the patch of fog Makoto disappeared in. Am I immortal? Cursed? Or did she hold back for some reason? Gosh, that dragon is so hard to understand. She remained stuck in her thoughts while she sat there on the bench, clutching her stinging, bleeding wound. That reminds her, she should go and get that treated.

Slowly but surely, she got off the bench and continued her venture into the woods, going the opposite way from Makoto in hopes that she wouldn't encounter her again. She hoped Mepuru was okay, considering they got separated and haven't heard anything from each other at all. I just hope she hasn't died. Kagayaku thought, sighing as she kicked a stone into the bushes.

"OW."

Kagayaku jumped at the sudden voice from the bushes. "Uh, who's there?" She asked, brandishing her tail barb in case she needed to fight. The bushes in front of her rustled before a yellow SkyWing jumped out. She had iron plates around her neck and front legs. Her hands also had scars along them, as well as a big nasty gash down her right side. But the one thing that caught Kaga's eye was the crown that sat upon her head. The hybrid gasped as she figured out who was standing before her.

Queen Hestia.

The hybrid quickly bowed, body trembling. "I-I'm sorry your majesty! I didn't even know you were there!" Gosh, how many high status figures was she going to see tonight? First a deity, and now a queen? Some of her blood dripped down onto the ground, catching the queen's attention. Hestia walked up to Kagayaku and grabbed the arm that she was using to cover up her wound and pulled it down, inspecting the damage that Makoto caused. "I'll let you off because you're injured." She said, narrowing her eyes. "Unfortunately, the one who had the medical supplies died. My patrol was attacked by some weird invisible creature, that's how I got this." She explained, pointing to the gash down her side.

She suddenly grabbed the hybrid's clean hand and began dragging her through the forest. "It's best we get out of here before that creature appears again. I think it was a crazy animus dragon, not sure though." The queen went on, following the path into the woods. Kagayaku quickly followed her, wondering where the royal dragon was trying to take her. The two wandered through the forest for what seemed like ages before they came to a clearing, where they were met by the opportunity to be able to fly again. Hestia lifted into the air, and Kagayaku attempted to follow suit.

But her wings wouldn't move.

"Ugh! Not this again!" The hybrid hissed, glaring at her wings while Hestia landed again in front of her. "Stiff wings?" She inquired. Kaga nodded in reply. The queen sighed. "Absolute pain, that is. I have many guards with it." She said, poking at her wing. "Looks like we'll have to walk."

Kagayaku wasn't necassarily happy with having to walk, but Hestia seemed to know where she was going. Before long, they were stood at the entrance of the woods. Still no sign of Mepuru. "I um, have a friend who's lost in there." The hybrid mumbled, pointing to the forest's entrance. Hestia frowned. "You should've said." She said while Kagayaku sighed. "I know, I know, I'm sorry." The dragonet said, staring into the foggy entrance of the woods. She squinted as the fog cleared slightly.

Even from outside, Kagayaku noticed something in the woods. It made her gasp.

"Mepuru..." She whispered, biting her lip. Hestia looked horrified.