The Night Rider

Chapter 12 - Silvertongue

"Ruddy Water Traited aim!" the dragon hissed, retreating towards a nearby set of shelves.

Nivara chuckled, setting her grimoire aside at last. It dissolved into thin air, returning to the void of Nivara's Trait awaiting to be summoned once again.

"I thought a Talonslash could cut through any Trait?" Nivara jeered, delighted to see the green dragons smug smile falter.

Turning towards her desk she gently brushed her hand against the variety of ornaments adorning her desk. The most noticeable was her treasured blue dragon mask, carved in the shape of a Sea Screamers maw, a deadly two headed dragon known for its dual personality and unbeatable coordination of water and lightning. A perfect symbol for a Mist Maiden with nothing left to lose.

"Pfft. Obviously not your crazy Trait. It's better than being a hoarder of useless crap. Why do you need that stuff anyways? Thought you wanted to keep suspicion away?" The dragon continued, rolling her eyes at her partners antics.

Her mask held pride of place on a stand nearest the wall, no nicks or blemishes present in such a prized possession. Every object in her room was immaculate to the point of obsession, exactly as it should be. Being near the walls allowed the arkalite stone to keep it charged of Trait in case she had to use it as a last resort. It was impossible to remove unless intended by the user and was made from the toughest of dragon scales. Only the strongest of Trait could counteract the protection of the Light.

"Everyone has a hobby, Kaldra. Mine is making sure things are in order. From my desk, to every little item I feel is necessary to have in my room, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem." Nivara said, realigning her chair against the wall as she moved silently out of her chair and towards the shelves nearest her.

The Talonslash harrumphed, hovering over to her spot at the foot of Nivara's bed to make herself comfortable. Nivara paid her no mind, turning towards her row of floating glass baubles above shelves and shelves of countless books and journals. Running her hands across the spines she selected a book out of its slot and skimmed the page, setting the book back onto the desk beside it for later use.

The glass orbs shone dully, some brighter than others in a variety of colours. Reds, blues and greens caught her attention until finally, one flickered a bright sky blue. Nivara smiled, remembering how the very same vial was used to trap Kamikaze's lightning. Thankfully, Nivara had drained it with her Trait a few days ago. It was much more important than anyone had ever thought possible.

She picked it up with the palm of her hand and lightly tossed it into the air. Kaldra let out a screech of horror as her mist Trait surrounded it instantaneously, cocooning it in a cloud of protection.

"What-" Kaldra began, only for Nivara to place a finger on her lips, silencing her for just a moment.

The mist covered orb began to elongate as it changed from blue to a bright green and finally an ever encompassing indigo, revealing the glass orbs true form. The hourglass hung in midair, slowly spinning as ebbs of time and mist flickered to show countless images of the past, present and future all strung together by a power that not even Trait could compare to.

"What IS that?" Kaldra said, leaning up on her haunches, mesmerised by what she was seeing.

Nivara could barely contain her excitement, grinning from ear to ear as she bounced on the balls of her feet. The mist began to swell into one continuous loop of colour, twirling and changing to suit the endless stormy backdrop it had created. The slow droplets of rain outside had now increased to an overwhelming force shearing through the buffeting winds against the flimsy glass of the window.

"It's a Storm Key. One of the last great artifacts from Shuriken."

Kaldra's eyes went wide at the thought of such a beautiful thing associated with now the desolate lands ravaged by demons. The dying storm had been rejuvenated by tumultuous thunder attempting to send its wrath throughout the lands. It was the stuff of nightmares but it was necessary to use such a powerful card in their arsenal.