Here is the second part of the update of the chapter I edited. I hope you enjoy the update.
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After a few more turns through the corridors I start to hear the sounds of thrashing and the clanging of metal chains. Coming upon a cell with metal bars I stare at a coal black dragon with gray streaking through its entire body. A metal collar chained around the dragon's neck with large manacles chained around its ankles, keeping it chained to the large cell with extremely thick and heavy looking links of chains.
Least to say I was completely shocked. How could someone do this to such a majestic creature? Let alone two of them? "We need to help it." My mind not really registering the fact that I had uttered those words out loud.
"No Avian! Please do not even attempt to try to do what you are thinking about. You could end up hurt if you try." Serina warned, her tone full of worry for me.
I started to enter into the cage, determined to help this poor creature when the man grabbed my arm gently jerking me to a stop. "You can't help him." The man indicated to the coal black dragon that thrashed against its bondages with the hand that wasn't holding onto me.
"We need to try." Ignoring the man's protests I close my eyes, reaching out with my mind to try and make contact with the chained dragon's mind. Though the only thing I felt was a major swirling mass of pure blackness with large amounts of red rage mixed into the mass.
Not giving up I begin to search for anything through the storm trying to find any trace of what the mind used to be. Pausing in my search I thought I felt a slight hint of clarity, as the dragon stopped thrashing in its bonds. I try to pursue the clarity, but it is quickly snuffed out, causing the raging storm to recoil and push me out unexpectedly.
I collapse from the mental attack but I do not touch the ground as the man quickly pulls me into his arms. "I tried to tell you before you tried to make contact with him. He is too far gone in insanity. He is beyond help now. All that is left now is a creature that goes purely by instinct, he cannot be reasoned with." The man explained as he gazes at the dragon with a saddened expression.
"He is right, dear one. That was a foolish thing to do. You should have listened to us in the first place." Serina interjected.
"How could someone do something this cruel?" I hate how weak I sounded. I was stronger than this, however my body didn't seem inclined to listening to me at the moment.
"Those without hearts feel no compassion. They take what they want. Regardless of the consequences." He practically growled out in anger as he continued to watch the black dragon, who resumed struggling with its bonds.
Slightly pushing against his chest, I try to walk away from him. But I couldn't, no matter how much I struggled.
A scream started to build in my throat as I watched the dragon, realizing it was about to lash out at us with its tail now that it had acknowledged our presence inside of its cell. The dragon-man must have realized it too as he picked me up. Running out of the cell carrying me inside of his arms. A burst of fire following close on our tails.
Once we were some distance away from the cell, he let me down now that we were safely away. A roar of outrage echoing through the tunnels as the dragon realized it didn't burn its prey to a crisp. "Thank you." I looked into his icy depths as I kept one hand on the wall to steady myself. He only nodded as he watched me continue to try and get my bearings.
When I more or less had stabilized I began to head for the exit with him following after me. "I must get you out of here before King Moddox comes back." The tunnel to his freedom wasn't too far away from where he had stopped. Soon enough I was showing him the exit. "This will lead you to your freedom." I pulled a torch sconce that opened the secret door. "You must follow this tunnel, you will find yourself exiting out of a hollow in a large tree within the edge of the forest." Slipping out a weapon from my slight collection I had on me I hand him the remaining twin dagger I hadn't lost.
He seemed confused as I wrapped his hand around the pommel of the dagger then stepped back, indicating for him to go before he got caught. "Why do you help me?" He stared into my eyes as he looked as if he were puzzling me out.
"The truth? I rescued you because my dragon asked me to. Plus it wasn't right what King Moddox had done to you. After this I will no longer serve him. He needs to be stopped, the only way I can help make sure of that is by finding my true King and taking my place by his side." I think back to the promise I had made Serina not so long ago.
"Who is your true King if not that man?" He asked curiously.
"My King is the King of Dragons. But I am sure you already knew that." I smiled at him, which he returned with a smile of his own.
"Thank you for your help. We will meet again." He started to take a step through the opening.
"How do you know?" I couldn't help but wonder. What did he exactly know?
"If you are truly looking for the King of Dragons we will meet again. Expect that much." He retreated into the tunnel.
Though I couldn't stop myself from calling out to him. Making him turn around to look at me one last time. "Who are you?"
He smiled at me as he answered very vaguely, "An ally and a friend." With that he turned his back to me and trotted down the tunnel. Disappearing into the darkness within, his hand clutching the dagger I had given him.
Shaking my head I couldn't afford to dwell on thoughts of him incase King Moddox decided to come back down to the dungeon anytime soon. Reaching out my mind I call out to Jake. Severely startling him. Without giving anything away I told him it was me and to meet me in the tunnels we used to play in as children.
Giving him directions as he didn't really remember the way, it didn't take him long to meet me outside of the secret tunnel. I smile up at my best friend. The smile he gave me unsure of what I was about to ask of him. "Hey Jake. I'm glad you came here quickly."
"What do you need Avi that it requires this much secrecy?" Jake asked with concern. I don't know if it was concern for me or for him. Though it was probably a mix of both.
"I need you to make it look like I was snuck up on and knocked out from behind. The attacker breaking out the prisoner." I bite my lip as I look up at him pleadingly.
He hesitated for what seemed the longest time before he nodded. "Anything for my best friend."
Taking his hand I lead him back to the empty cell that once held the dragon-man, trying to be inconspicuous as I kept a look out for the guards that were patrolling the tunnels or even the King himself. When we came to the cell that only contained the chains that once held the prisoner I ushered Jake into the room, closing the door firmly behind us. Taking his weapon from his belt I wrap his fingers around the hilt. "You need to hit me from behind. It needs to look like I was ambushed so King Maddox doesn't get overly suspicious."
He glanced from his weapon to me, his eyes brimming with questions that he was trying to squash down or at least save for a different time. "Alright. But promise me that if I do this then you will have to tell me what had happened for this situation to occur. Deal?"
"It is a promise. Now hurry up and just get it over with. Before King Moddox comes back." Taking a deep breath I turned around to face the hanging chains of where the dragon was held not too long ago. I hope was he okay and didn't meet with any precautionary forces out in the woods. I squeezed my eyes shut as I anticipated Jake's hit from behind.
It didn't come as soon as I had hoped as he caught me off guard just as I was starting to relax. The last thing I remember is feeling a great pain in the back of my head and falling to the ground in a heap, as everything around me went black.
Waking up. I found myself in my own bed with a bandaged wrapped around my head. Though my wound was already healed thanks to the healing magic that came with my powers. Someone cleared their throat which had my eyes darting to the end of my bed where Dax and Jake sat. Both of them staring at me in concern.
We just stared at each other until my fiancé opened his mouth to be the first one to break the suffocating silence. "I was extremely worried about you. The King came by to not long ago but soon left when he realized you hadn't regained consciousness yet."
I winced at the memory of the King, I was going to be in big trouble. "Was he angry?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Furious. He looked as though he was ready to behead someone." Jake piped up from his spot on the bed.
Dax glared at Jake but turned his attention back to me, "Jake explained as much as he could. Though I am sure we are both curious to know what had happened down in those dungeons."
I squirmed uncomfortable in their gazes as I began to pick at the blankets on my lap with my fingers. "Well you see, Bao came to tell me the King wanted me to meet him in front of the dungeons. So I went and met up with him, because I very well couldn't say no to his Majesty. He led me to a specific cell that contained a prisoner that he needed information from. When I got down there I came face to face with a man whose eyes changed into reptilian ones. It was then that Serina, my dragon, started to beg me to save him for he too was a dragon." Dax and Jake leaned back in shock when Serina was mentioned. "It wasn't right what King Maddox was doing so I agreed. The man hanging from the chains stated that I was a rider and I nodded without the King noticing, it was then that I whispered I would get him out of there.
When the King left I picked the lock on his manacles. As we escaped through the tunnels I heard a roar that was familiar, as Serina had made a similar call a few times. I instinctively headed towards the sound only to find that a black dragon is being held captive deep in the dungeon. When I tried to establish a mental link with it, it pushed me out. Least to say I left the chained dragon to its insanity, helping the man to escape through the secret passageway that we used as children." Finishing in a rush.
"Where did you get a dragon?" Jake asked as he leaned forward with interest.
"Serina, you can come out of hiding. It is safe, I trust these two with my life and with our secret." Not a second later Serina's form shook like a cat shaking out its fur, before she moved off from my arm.
Looking around the room she puffed out a bit of smoke before making her way to my chest to curl up, purring in contentment. "We were connected when we were born. Not being able to bond for so long was what caused our pains. Which only grew the longer we lived without each other. A few days ago I found my mother's note that explained I was a dragon rider and that she had hidden my dragon away. If I hadn't bonded with Serina by my eighteenth birthday then we both would have died.
So naturally I went out to find her. As it also turns out, I am the next Blade to the King of Dragons, my true King." I ran a hand down Serina's scales, a smile fixed on my face as I looked at my bond-mate with overflowing love that I didn't know was possible. "Now you know everything." I simply tell them, waiting for one of them to say something. When they stayed unnaturally silent I decided to break it with the task I had set before me. "I need to leave soon and go out to find the King I was always meant to serve. I must escape the Kingdom before King Moddox comes back to take his wrath out on me."
That's when it all erupted into chaos. Jake and Dax competing who could shout louder as they lectured me about my decision.
Men, I rolled my eyes. "It is too dangerous for me to stay here, especially if the King were to find out I am a rider. He was seeking information about the Dragon Kingdom after all. Because of my father's training I will be able to handle most things that come my way. Especially now that I have Serina. I won't ever have to do things on my own again." I countered. "I don't belong here. Not anymore." They knew I was right as I stared at them down.
With heavy sighs they both stood from their positions, filing out of my room quietly. Throwing the covers off my legs I carefully moved Serina from my chest to set her down on the bed. Sitting up I unwrapped the bandage that was around my head. Getting up I rummage around my room, readying my bags for the journey of my destiny.
As I stared around my room for what could be the last time, nostalgia wrapped itself around my chest in a tight embrace. Flapping caught my attention as Serina jumped from my bed to settle on my shoulders, winding her tail lightly around my neck to keep herself anchored. "It will be alright, dear one. You are doing the right thing. Besides as you said before, you do not belong here anymore. We don't belong here." She rubbed her head along my cheek trying to comfort me, purring as a cat would.
"I know Serina, it is just a big change. That's all." I sigh. Taking one last look at my room before shutting the door behind me. Walking into the living room I see Dax standing in front of the fire place and Jake on the sofa. They turned to look at me as they heard me enter into the room. Staying silent I make my way around to give both boys a hug. "When King Moddox comes back, tell him I went to try and recapture the prisoner. I felt guilty about him escaping on my watch. That I needed to redeem myself." Giving them one last smile "I will call for you when I have found the Kingdom."
With that said I turned my back on my two brothers as I walked out of my home, heading for the stables. Heavy footsteps fell behind me, tailing me as I walked. From the sound of them I knew that it was Dax trailing as quietly as he could behind me. He watched as I gathered Zimra's things, getting her ready for our journey.
When she was ready I walked her out of the stables for the last time. Dax still trailing after me. Hearing him shift closer to me causing me to turn around to face him. "I want to go with you. To help you bare this weight thrust upon you." His voice breaking as he gazed into my eyes.
Smiling gently as I step forward to wrap him within my arms. "No Dax. This is something I have to do on my own. But there is one thing I want you to do for me."
He clutched me close to him, almost crushing my form. "Anything." His head snug against my own.
Using my hand I tilt his head down to look at me, "Promise me that you will keep yourself and Jake safe. You guys are the last of my family."
"I promise you that we will be safe."
Sighing in relief I bury my head in his chest holding on to him for just a bit longer. "Thank you." With his arms wrapped around me he placed a kiss on my head.
Pulling back I whisper a goodbye before climbing up into my saddle and riding off into the dawn of the morning. In search for my destiny which lay ahead with the King of Dragons.
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Not gunna lie, this chapter made me a bit sad as I rewrote it. If you enjoyed it please comment and vote. Anyway I'm probably going to leave it to only two updates for now. I might update later in the day. But I will absolutely post the rest of the updates of the newly edited chapters tomorrow for sure!
So Comment, Vote, and Keep Reading! Toodles!