-This is a little shorter than usual, but I figured it was better to cut this one off early than to stop part way through fleshing out the next big thing. It's less confusing that way. Anywho, enjoy!
-NFD
~~~
"A... what?" I questioned, wincing when Mom licked a particularly sore gouge in my shoulder.
Von fiddled with his tail tip using a single claw but otherwise sat calmly in the soft light of his tomb. "An animal," he repeated.
"You want me to act like an animal."
His expression didn't shift even slightly, apparently dead-serious. "Yes."
Von's request was very simple, but, at the same time, it sounded like the world's most complicated puzzle. He told me to act like an animal, which would supposedly help me leaps and bounds with my 'training.' What was that supposed to mean? How did he expect me to attempt that? As far as I knew, many animals only cared about food, water, shelter, and reproduction.
"Technically, we're already animals, Dad," Moon interjected as she slowly walked along the edges of the chamber. "We're not so different."
Von spared her a cross look. "That's offensive."
"Quadrupeds, tails, wildness, our love of raw meat," she listed, rolling her eyes. "According to Scaleless, that's an animal."
"Not for us."
"For us, that definition depends entirely on the dragon," Moon countered. "Some say only the insane are animals, some say Scaleless are animals, and some claim only single-minded prey are animals. In my eyes, whatever is wild at heart and still embraces its primal nature is an animal, and, as far as I'm concerned, that's everyone in this cave."
Von mulled that over, seemingly torn, then reluctantly conceded. "I... suppose that makes sense."
"I think the important part is what he meant," Stormfly cut in from a few paces to my left. "What does 'being an animal' do to make Auroon stronger?"
"Stronger?" Von chuckled and shook his head, much to my surprise. "No, no, no. You've got it all wrong. We're not making him stronger."
"In case you didn't notice, I got pummeled," I pointed out, not liking this one bit. "I am completely ineffective against Caligo. I need to get stronger, not pretend to be something else."
Von rolled his eyes. "Auroon, you're the Siegebreaker. You didn't earn that title by being weak."
"I had Soulmagic back then," I retorted sourly. "But that changed." Being reminded of my darker seasons was a poor way to start off this arrangement. Why did my past have to follow me everywhere?
"You're missing the point of this meeting," Moon huffed loudly. "We're not here to make you stronger; you're plenty strong enough. Don't you remember what I said about dragons and their magic? One's magic can only get stronger, and unless you're dying, it can't get weaker. Just because you have a different magic type doesn't mean you have less power."
"Precisely," Von agreed. "You have the same strength, but you cannot tap into its full potential the same way as Soulmagic. We must find the best method to dig up your power and use it. When I say to act like an animal, I mean to fall back onto your instincts. Stop thinking. Your body naturally knows how to use its power, so let it use it."
"That's dangerous," Moon objected, eyeing Von dubiously. "There's a reason that teaching method was abandoned centuries ago. He could lose himself to his baser instincts."
"It's the only way to find the right method quickly," he argued. "Yes, there's some risk involved, but it isn't like we can just nicely ask the universe to tell us how."
Silence.
Von looked uneasy now, noticing our wide-eyed stares. "You can't tell me that's actually possible."
Honestly, I'd completely forgotten about that little detail. Since the Queen's defeat, I didn't have a reason to ask my Lunar-Magic for assistance until now, and as far as I was aware, neither did Stormfly. We used it as anyone else would use their magic, largely disregarding what made it truly unique. Aurora, however, probably used her magic the right way the entire time, but I suspected no one would ever have the level of mastery she did, even if they used it the right way; she was simply too in tune with her magic for anyone to match.
Asking Aurora for assistance came to mind, but I quickly tossed that idea aside. Myrkr had made it clear that he didn't want his mate in any danger by taking her away the second it was safe to do so. Convincing him to go back on his decision was next to impossible, as it involved keeping 'the light of his life' out of harm's way. Also, Aurora has had enough to do with all of this madness, what with being tortured for nights on end. She deserved to be kept out of it for the foreseeable future. In fact, she deserved to be as far from it as possible.
"Auroon!" I jolted out of my thoughts, met with a familiar face inches from my own. "Finally," Mom sighed. "We've called your name several times now. Are you sure you don't have a concussion?"
I shook my head. "I'm sure. I was just... thinking about something." That 'something' being Aurora's torment, one of my greatest failures—not exactly a light subject.
Mom gave me a look that meant she knew I was hiding something and that she would dig it out of me later, but she let it go for now. "We need you to try 'talking' to your magic," she explained. "If you can remember how, that is. Stormfly is either forgetting how, or her magic isn't responding."
"I'm telling you, it's just not responding!" Stormfly groaned. I belatedly noticed her pacing back and forth near the tunnel, her tail lashing in frustration. "I remember how to do it, but nothing's happening."
"I believe you," Von replied kindly. "This is simply a test to ensure it isn't only you but your magic as a whole."
"I'm pretty sure she forgot and is too embarrassed to admit it," Moon chimed in unhelpfully. Stormfly shot her a withering glare. The deity merely smiled innocently.
"Hush," Von chided, giving Moon's ear a light flick with his tail tip, making her jump. "Be nice."
Mom rolled her eyes and bumped my head with her own as Moon began complaining about Von 'startling her.' "Give it a shot. The worst that can happen is nothing, and we'll know where we stand. Just don't overexert yourself."
I withheld a sigh at Mom's warning. If she thought I needed a reminder, then she must believe I still had that problem. She was pretty knowledgeable about anything about me, so if she thought so, then she was probably right. Under her calm gaze, I closed my eyes and focused on my core and the cool energy stored within it. I tried to recall how we invoked Lunar-Magic's aid in the past; the request had to be simple, and we had to prod at my core as if getting the attention of a distracted hatchling. I couldn't remember if there was anything else to it.
I focused on my core and was almost instantly granted a familiar spike of energy, which somehow felt... welcoming... and playful? That hadn't happened before.
"Well, I'll be. He's definitely doing something," Von commented, surprised. I opened my eyes to a wall of faint blue fog swirling gently around my prone form, only about a tail-length high and surrounding me. My mother, who still lingered beside me, was unaffected, almost like it was merely water washing over her scales.
"Son?" Mom warbled, waving a paw through the glowing mist. "What is this?"
"I... have no idea," I admitted slowly. All I did was poke my core. I hadn't even tried speaking to it yet. Clearly, my magic decided it wanted to do whatever this was just because I paid attention to it.
"It could be a side-effect," Von reasoned uncertainly. "I suggest we try again."
"No," Stormfly denied. She smoothly stood and crept closer, eyeing the swirling fog like it was a venomous-fanged-slitherer poised to strike. "Our magic never does something alone on a whim; there's always a reason."
"She... has a point," Moon confirmed uneasily. "Every time it has acted out on its own, there was a reason behind it."
"A reason, right," Von murmured, watching Stormfly inch ever closer. It wasn't as if I could do much with my battered body, so I stayed put. "And what might this reason be?"
"It could be anything," Moon answered succinctly. "It might act on their innermost desires, but I don't have enough proof. It's too unpredictable."
'Unpredictable' was a nice way of putting it. Lunar-Magic was pure energy, which could become extremely dangerous. Energy didn't behave the same way as magic, so it couldn't be handled the same way either. When raw energy decided to do something unidentified, that was cause for alarm. Messing with it might get us killed. Even not messing with it could get us killed, depending on what the energy was doing. Coming from a larger core such as mine, that danger was even greater.
"I can't tell what it's doing," Stormfly muttered as she inspected the swirling fog cautiously. "It isn't protecting him, and it isn't trying to harm Astra. It's just... there."
"How about the 'inner desire' idea?" Von suggested. "What could he want to cause this?" All eyes turned to me, making me distinctly uncomfortable. Why did I get the feeling I wasn't going to like this? "I think he made it pretty obvious."
Moon narrowed her eyes a little. "Power..."
(^-^)
Reborn in hellfire.
Gifted the unholy flame.
Risen when times are dire.
Only to die in vain.
So the cycle repeats.
Until all succumb to the Eternal—
You...
Will...
Be...
MINE!
I screamed and thrashed wildly to break free of the unforgiving chains grinding into my scales. They suffocated me, bound me, and forced me to surrender to my enslaver. I couldn't go through that torment again! I barely made it out last time!
I fought with all the might my terror-stricken body could muster, but it wasn't enough. The chains kept me pinned to the ground, vulnerable, despite my panicked efforts to change that. I was trapped again. My tormentor was visible just ahead, and his sadistic laughter rang through my head, knowing that I was helpless before his power.
Without warning, everything went dark and silent, save for my hyperventilating breaths and thudding heart. It was like a veil had been thrown over the world, swallowing up all light and sound and extinguishing any further stimuli for my terrified mind. The change was so sudden that I didn't know how to respond, but I wasn't exactly complaining either. It did feel familiar somehow...
"She should be safe now." I jolted a little at the sudden, muffled voice reaching my ears. "If a bit jumpy, of course."
Before I could wonder further, the darkness lifted, revealing a brown wing over my head, which subsequently lifted as well. Two sets of eyes stared back at me, one immediately to my right, and another just ahead, the latter with a paw pressed firmly on an unmoving form wreathed in shadows.
"Welcome back to the waking world," Splinter chuffed.
I tentatively looked around, realizing I laid in the central chamber of my den and not in my nest as I should've been. "Huh...?" How did I get out here?
"Nightmares," Splinter explained without prompting, bringing my attention back to the dark thing at her paws... and the two other, similar forms nearby. "Powerful nightmares caused by evil power. They spawn these creatures, similar to Seekers but hatched by pure darkness. We cut off your senses to deprive your nightmares of fuel to make more of these things. You're safe now."
I swallowed thickly. "Safe?" Just like that? Really? It felt all too real to be over so quickly.
She nodded, kicking the downed creature. "Safe."
"I've never s-seen things like that before," Myrkr interjected nervously. "They came out of nowhere..."
"They're nightmares given form," Splinter elaborated. "They were rare back home, but they have the same job as Seekers do, which is why we called them 'Dark Seekers,' for their lack of light. Clearly, the enemy still wants Aurora, and they're willing to use every dirty trick they have to get her."
My heart dropped with dread. If they could get at me even in my dreams, was anywhere safe? How was I supposed to stay free if those monsters caught me at every turn? By defying a god, was I merely delaying the inevitable? Was I doomed from the start?
Splinter shoved the shadowed body aside toward its comrades with a snort of disdain. "It doesn't matter anyway. We'll get over this inconvenience."
"Inconvenience?" I whined disbelievingly. "A-Are you serious?! I'm being hunted by a god!" How could she be so calm about this?! I was running from an enemy with incomprehensible power, infinitely more experienced, and an endless army on top of that! This was a big deal!
Splinter shot me a considering look, seemingly studying my trembling form for a long moment. "Aurora, I have season-cycles of experience with this same problem. Our pack was plagued with abductions not unlike this for a long time. I know all the little tricks, the patterns, the underpawed tactics, the manipulation. This?" She flicked her dappled tail at the three bodies. "This is a nuisance. Dark Seekers only come from violent nightmares, which can be remedied easily. Myrkr is obviously your biggest source of comfort, so he should sleep with you every day from now on."
Myrkr looked taken aback by her decisive tone. "But I need to—"
"No, you don't," she interrupted softly. "Your job is keeping your pregnant mate happy by doing whatever she needs you to do at any given moment. Right now, that means stopping her nightmares so the enemy can't use them against her. She doesn't trust me to do that... and I can't blame her." She looked a little crestfallen for a split second, then, when her attention shifted to me, it was gone. "Will you trust me?"
I hesitated, studying her doubtfully. She seemed knowledgeable about the threat looming over me and had proved herself capable of subverting it. That was about as far as I'd let her go. However, Myrkr couldn't be here and fulfill his responsibilities simultaneously, which led to the current dilemma. Splinter had a solution, a good solution, but one that required a great deal of trust.
Could I trust her not to abduct me again? Could I trust her to be fully on our side? No, I didn't. I still doubted her sincerity and feared that she'd send me to be tortured again when I least expected it. If that were all there was to it, I'd tell her no, but that wasn't the case.
One small yet infinitely precious detail pushed me to swallow my doubts and give a potential enemy another chance. Lately, my mind was always on the little life growing in me, particularly the constant danger threatening it. That egg was my priority, and if Splinter could offer it more safety...?
"Food," I requested quietly, knowing the real meaning behind her open-ended question. "Big food. Tough meat. No scratchy feathers or fur." Her eyes widened in surprise despite hoping for exactly that.
"W-Wait, wait!" Myrkr stammered, caught off-guard. His panicked eyes darted over my face as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "How can you trust her like that?! What if she poisons your food? Wh-What if she tries to weaken you? What if—"
"Look at me," I whined hopelessly. "Can't you see that I'm getting weaker every night? As your egg grows, I become less and less capable of protecting myself. Soon, I won't be able to walk."
"B-But you walked fine before—"
"This one has a soul!"
"So?!" He blurted desperately. "We'll figure it out! It's not—"
"Myrkr, I'm a runt!" I interrupted insistently, hating every self-deprecating word coming out of my mouth. "You're not, and this is your egg, so it will handicap me! Do you honestly want to risk our first hatchling like this?"
He whimpered at that. "N-No, of course not!"
"We don't have a choice," I bemoaned. "I don't like it either, but..."
Myrkr's hopes crumbled in his eyes as he realized the hard truth. He struggled with himself for a moment, then growled and got to his paws. Splinter backed up a step when he stormed over to her and bared his teeth in her face. "If y-you're lying," he hissed shakily. "I-If you hurt either of them. If you betray us again. I'll make you pay. I'll m-make you suffer for the rest of your life. Just... Just..." A whine full of pain broke through. "J-Just don't make me lose them again..."
Splinter's wide eyes darted to me, then back to her very desperate son. "I promise I have changed. I won't hurt any of you like that again; I only intend to help."
"Food," I repeated. "...and water." That was the first of many things Myrkr handled on a nightly basis, but it was a good start for Splinter. I still doubted her trustworthiness, but perhaps she'd changed for the better.
We'll see...
(^-^)
This plan was doomed from the start, wasn't it?
Nibbler huffed and grumbled unintelligibly, earning a cross look. "Hey, my plans aren't always terrible!" I objected in a whisper. She rolled her eyes at that. "I don't see you coming up with any ideas!"
"Vaaaaskr!" I stiffened at Nox's voice drifting through the trees. "I know you're here somewhere. Why are you hiding?"
Why? Because I had enough drama in my life, and adding Nox's inevitable anger on top of that would be too much to handle. Nibbler and I just had to get past this stupid phase, and everything would go back to normal!
...Right?
"Found you!" I jumped with fright, then froze solid at Nox's face poking through the undergrowth inches away. What should I do? What should I say? What if she found out about— "Huh, I could've sworn he was here," she muttered, disappointed, and pulled back out of sight. "How does a friggin' dragon with shiny scales hide in a place like this?" I blinked, stupified.
What just happened?
I quickly looked over myself and Nibbler, just in case we were somehow accidentally invisible; we weren't. In fact, we stuck out so much that it was kind of pathetic. Still, Nox had completely overlooked our existence despite coming face-to-face with us. She had to be toying with me. There was no way she hadn't noticed us.
"Did... Did you see that too?" I whispered. Nibbler nodded slowly in the corner of my eye. So I didn't imagine that...
"You're welcome." We jolted and looked sharply to our right, seeing none other than—
"...Star?" I warbled, bemused. Honestly, I had forgotten entirely about my long-dead grandmother, Star. Last I recalled, she left us to handle our current predicament after mentioning the 'missing last piece' for something. She neglected to explain what said piece was, let alone what she needed it for, of course.
Star hummed a wordless confirmation as she lounged casually by my side. "And now that you owe me, I need you to do me a favor."
I frowned. "What are you talking about? We don't owe you." We already repaid our debt for resurrecting us by going along with her cryptic plan; we weren't obligated to do anything more than that.
"Oh? Do you think so?" She asked, casting me a peculiar look. "Hmm. Then, I suppose I should stop hiding you and make a bunch of noise to attract Nox." We stiffened at that. "After all, what's the point of trading favors if there isn't any trading to be had?"
Nibbler and I shared an uncertain look, knowing we were backed into a corner. There was only one right choice, even if we didn't like it. "What do you want?" I muttered begrudgingly.
Star cracked a victorious smile. "Follow me."
I landed in a relatively open clearing, shuddering at the feeling of decaying plant matter squishing between my claws. "Ugh, why does it have to be this place?" I moaned as my best friend touched down beside me. "I hate this place..."
"You might as well get used to it," Star huffed, casting a cursory look at our dreary surroundings. "You'll see a lot of this in the future if nothing's done about it."
Dark trees and abnormal growths surrounded us again, hiding unthinkable things in their depths. Even the night sky was shrouded in clouds, leaving little in the way of light. "Why do bad guys always have to make everything ugly and horrible?" I griped. "All the stories make it that way, too."
"Probably because you'd like it if it was bright and sunny and beautiful," Star replied wryly. "Obviously, they don't want you to enjoy it."
"Still," I grumbled, shaking a paw free of the slimy stuff, only to have it get plastered again. Nibbler seemed to dislike it just as much as I did, judging by her disgusted frown, though she was less vocal about it.
Star stared at us blankly. "Once you're done complaining about getting your paws dirty, we should get started."
"Easy for you to say," I retorted, glaring at her. "You're not touching it!" She cheated by floating just slightly off the ground while we stood in gunk that covered our paws. Although, she had odd dirt stains on her forepaws.
She rolled her eyes. "Fine, if that will silence your complaining, I will make it even." She suddenly dropped onto the ground with a squelch, making her cringe and shiver.
I couldn't resist a smug purr. "Well?"
"It's... erm... unique," she answered haltingly, lifting one paw at a time to shake them off, with little effect. "Very... unique... yes."
Seeing her apparent revulsion, even though she tried to hide it, made me feel a lot better. This surely knocked her pride down a few notches, which was a good thing for all of us. "Why did you bring us back here?" I warbled with no small amount of disapproval. "I thought you said there was nothing here."
Star shook a forepaw again before replying, her expression grim. "There wasn't, but I discovered something... disturbing."
"Disturbing?" I echoed nervously.
"Follow," she ordered, then turned and plodded in a seemingly random direction. "It's not far."
Nibbler and I shared a wary look before obeying. She said she found something disturbing but wasn't this entire island disturbing? What could stand out so much that she'd take us all the way over here? I couldn't think of a single thing that would make the semi-long flight worthwhile, considering everything on this island revolved around death.
"What you will see will be shocking," Star murmured sorrowfully, sounding weary all of a sudden. "It took me a while to understand it myself and a while longer to work up the nerve to show you. You may be adults, but this is still... a lot to take in... surely even for the most battle-hardened elders. This is mostly for you, Vaskr, but Nibbler as well."
Dread's claws gripped my heart tighter and tighter. "W-What are you showing us...?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to know anymore.
She stopped suddenly, forcing us to do the same lest we walked into her. Before us laid an unusually sparse field just past a few scraggly trees stubbornly isolated from the forest behind us. Many holes looked to be dragon-made, exposing pale and grey objects sticking out of the dirt. What were those things? DId Star dig them up?
"...Vaskr." I tore my eyes off of the field to Star's quiet voice, a question already on the tip of my tongue, but it trailed off before it came into being, replaced by a trembling whine at what I saw; a skull, but if what Star said was any indication, it wasn't just any skull.
It was a Dark One's skull.
"This is one of many I found," Star murmured. I dragged my eyes back up to the field, finally recognizing the details I'd missed. "Thousands of them, in fact." She took a slow breath in as I struggled to breathe. "This is a battlefield. All of them were Dark Ones."
"This..." Nibbler gave me a worried croon as I struggled to form the words. "This is..."
Star sadly turned to face the field again. Her response was short but hit like a landslide. "Extinction."