Facing a Broken Illusion

[Yami Ryu]

Drakengard ficlet. Same one I have up on FFnet, under the same name. Spoilers for Drakengard I & II. Though this story is a bit AU.

Prolouge​

Before mankind, there were gods. Before that time, there was nothing. When the gods came, they brought their judges. Dragons. Tools of life and destruction. With the dragons, whole species could be judged to be seen if they were worthy of life, or eternal damnation in death.

This was how it was, and always would be, it seemed.

Untill a young man named Caim, would not even let a god stand in his way, not heeding his pact partners' warnings, a red dragon, about what they faced being a god of dragons, he ushered them into battle.

And the dragon god fell under their might.

The gods above felt something they never had before at the death of that giant, golden wyrm.

Fear.

Even as Angelus and Caim were forced into seperation as the mighty dragon sacrificed herself to be the seal, the god were already planning. Plotting. Devising a way to never have one of their tools or a mortal be powerfull enough to stop them, ever again.

Eighteen years later, another boy rose to their attention. But this was planned. Death and carnage as another war broke out swept over the land. But as before, this was planned.

When finally, it was finished, the dragons started to dissapear, even Nowe's Legna. They thought that this was a sign the Mortals were now free of the Gods.

But it was a lie.

It was just the gods had taken away the mortal's only chance at ever having true power over their destiny in life.

But the gods had over looked one thing. They had destroyed all the dragons.

They had forgotten to check if any of the females had dared to reproduce.

One egg lay forgotten in a cave.

Fourty years after the rise and fall of Caim and Angelus; one person found the egg, led there by some guiding force. He didn't know what it was at first, and when he discovered what it was, he took it into hiding once more, ferreting it away somewhere safer than that mountain.

One hundred years after the rise and fall, and the gods have been all but forgotten. Dragons all but forgotten. Everything magical and powerfull has been lost to time. Warnings of things not understood have faded into the darkness as mankind becomes ignorant of the past.

One hundred and fifty years after the rise and fall. And things are now hell.

No one knows exactly when it started to happen, but strange things were going on. And nothing they have, can protect them from it. dead bodies walk, large bats hunt the night skies, while gargoyles swoop down at dusk and dawn and strike the unwary to travel. Large beasts looking like birds and large cats desemate cattle and beasts of burden as other things skulk about, striking both man and animal down.

For the gods have finally showed themselves, and the destruction of the human race is what they want…

Is mankind destined to destruction at the hands of the gods?

~​

No more angels in the sky
Gone the dragons flying high
All you left on the floor
Beg for mercy, fight no more.​

~

Chapter One
Beast of the Sea​

“M`Lady!” Came the shouts across the boat as it rocked and tossed in the water and waves while the storm around them whipped up winds as it seemed to become more frenzied in its fury.

Acting like it wanted to destroy the boat and those aboard it, the ship was sent rocking back and forth, causing the woman the distressed men shouted for to clutch at the rails as she felt her stomach roll and jostle, but atleast she had not taken in any food, so her stomach did not rebel like it had earlier in the day.

“Here, I'm here!” She cried out near sobbing as she clung to what she clutched at for dear life while the seas boiled about beneath and around the ship.

It wouldn't be so frightening for the young woman if the storm wasn't so bad. If the seas so rough. If lightning didn't flash in the sky or thunder seemingly crash all around them.

Shutting her eyes tightly, she whimpered, still clutching at the wood and nearly tearing splinters out with her nails as waves started to get high enough and rolled up, into the boat, drenching all in it's path and sending any unlucky soul sliding about the deck or worse, overboard.

“Hang on m`lady!” Came another shout from one of the men still able to stand, relatively unsoaked and not abandoning her to her fate like it seemed all others were attempting to try,

But it wasn't to be as another wave, stronger than the last seemed to rear up and slam down onto the boat like a fist, smashing it to splinters and flotsam.

Gwenyth struggled, but it was a futile effort as the dress she wore quickly became water logged, and it's wieght seemed to double or triple easily, dragging her down no matter how hard she tried.

The salt water stung at her eyes as she was forced to watch the turmoil of the oceans surface receed farther and farther as the dark, cold ocean griped at her with a killer intent, pulling her down.

A few air bubbles escaped her noise and mouth as her lungs burned and heaved, crying out for life giving oxygen and release, wanting the young lady to breathe out and then in. But in her mind that was slowly turning black as her vision faded from lack of fresh air and light, she knew that would be certain death.

But wasn't she dead already?

She could almost feel as if something was waiting for her to give up, to die. To gloat as her lifeless, limp, rag doll like body floated down to the depths below to be eaten by whatever lived down in that chilling dark water.

She could hear her heart slowly thump thump in her ears, and seeming to slow every second.

If her eyes had roamed from the sky of water above her, she might have seen a form in the murky black/blue out there.

She was just about to give in, and breathe the water into her lungs when something snapped out of the darkness, and twisted about her, gently stopping her fall to the ocean bottom still far below. She thought this was a dream, an illusion brought upon the lack of air for her mind.

Then, almost hauntingly; sounding like the sea itself if it had a voice, what caught her spoke. ‘A human ... here? .. So long since I have seen one .. and not dead ...’

She would have started, afraid, but maybe this was the reaper come to collect her soul, to take her to oblivion where she belonged now since she was dead.

‘Tell me, human, do you want to live? Or are you too far gone?’

She tried to speak, but only a few bubbles escaped her, and she tiredly nodded her head. Yes, she wanted to live, but surely, this was just a dream, and she was already dead.

The haunting voice told her what to do, and slugishly she managed somehow. And amongst the searing pain, she felt strength come, and the loss of something that she wasn't sure about what had gone missing.

And then the blonde haired human passed out.

She came too with a groan some time later. On a beach somewhere, with a storm raging in the distance. Coughing weakly, she attempted to push herself up, but failed, falling face forward onto the sand, gaining grains up her nose and in her mouth.

Sputtering weakly in an attempt to get the salty grit out of there, she tried to move again while weakly opening her eyes. Her right arm shifted, and she got it under herself. But when she tried to move the left, it was like a dead, iron wieght. A sound of confusion escaped her as she turned a bit, and stared at the limb. Nothing seemed wrong with it as it lay there unmoving.

If you didn't cound the large black tattoo that swirled and curved around the limb, covering it from her fingers all the way up to her shoulder. Around it and even her armpit if she dared look. It in itself wasn't that ugly, if a bit tribal. But the fact her arm was dead numb and unmoving chilled the young woman to the bone.

‘You are alive, the loss of one limb is not so great. You might not be able to regrow it,’ a voice said in her head, sounding like the one from her dream, “but you have three other sturdy apendages to use. So use them human, and wisely. For I can not protect you on land.’

She gaped as she grasped at the dawning realisation, the voice was real, and not from a dream, or her own imagination.

In a state of shock, the young woman went over flashes of memory of what happened after she fell into the water, and before awakening on the beach. And if she hadn't been in shock, she would have screamed in horror or anguish over what had happened.

“But, but it, it's just a legend. A Myth, this can't,” she spoke aloud without realising it. Voicing the thoughts of her shocked mind as she attempted to sit up and continued to fail time and time again as it had yet to fully sink into her mind that the left arm was as good as gone now.

‘Child, even myths and legends have facts,’ the voice told her soothingly.

End Chapter One​

 

[Sono Nanatsu Heika]

...wow...wow, just excellent, keep up the good work

 

[Lady Myuu]

I've read this before but never reviewed so here I am now.

I like the prologue, its captivating. The gods wanting to destroy mankind and got rid of there judges to do it. Neat, I wish I played the game... Ok no I don't. Its to sad.

Chapter one was really well described, the waves, teh ship the drowning. The enchanting savoir voice and the near death experince and pain.

I love the emotion. I suck at reviews though so just keep it up.

 

[Yami Ryu]

Well thanks for the reviews. And here's chapter two.

Chapter Two
Wings of Wind​

He should never have come this way. He just knew that, to the very core of his soul. It had been a bad idea to come this way. But there had been no other choice. He'd had the choice of taking flight to the desert, or dying at the hands of those ... those monsters back there at his village.

Yes he was a coward, and ran when he should have, or atleast could have fought. But self preservation is a strong instinct to over come. And so he kept telling himself that as he tried to hide the cowardice behind that knowledge. But one can only lie to oneself for so long…

But maybe it would be long enough for him to find safety somewhere in this hellish place.

Uncaring of the horse underneath him, or how its frothed mouth was specked with blood from being forced to run all day and all night with no rest, far longer the old work horse ever should have been forced to run for, he urged the mount on while throwing glances over his shoulders.

But there wasn't even a speck on the horizon behind him that could have once been his home. Nor was there any specks of possible towns infront or to the side of himself. But that didn't matter to the man. Fleeing from the death that chased at his heels, no matter how far behind him, was all he cared for. Rest would come later.

Living to see that time, came now.

Once more he had his horse speed up, and the animal blindly followed the command, it had lost most of its will to do anything else. Red tinged foam dripped from it's mouth steadily.

But still, the rider did not notice, or he did not care about the abused horse, eyes glued to the horizon. Maybe if the horse hadn't been death warmed over, it would have alerted the rider to those that followed it swooping in for the attack. Maybe if the rider had really looked, he might have seen those that followed him too.

But the horse didn't alert him and he didn't see, untill it was too late.

Screaming shadows swooped down from above, startling the horse into one last frenzied run, forcing the human to clutch at riegn, saddle or mane in a mad attempt to stay on.

The half cat half bird monsters screamed again, their war cries hurting the man's ears so much he was afraid he was bleeding from them. And it seemed to affect the horse, or maybe death had come to collect it for the equine was slowing down, red liquid steadily running from it's mouth, eyes glazed over from exhaustion and pain.

Cursing under his breath from fear at the monsters above and annoyance at the animal he rode, he tried to force it to run again, but the jabs in the side did nothing, and slowly the animal shook, as if it was going to fall.

The riders gaze turned upwards, fear etching his face as he realised the monsters were about to kill him now too. So he didn't see the other thing appear.

Sounding like thunder and lightning with each flap of it's wings, and with a cry that could shatter crystal, the beast appeared infront of the human, one mighty and massive foot snatching out, scooping up both horse and human. Who had about three seconds to be alarmed before he was knocked out as his head collided with either the horses or the whatever's foot.

Sometime later, among dreams of flying over oceans that were really deserts, swatting loud buzzing horseflies that dared tried to bite him, the man felt pain. And it started to wake him up.

Untill finally his eyes cracked open, and he groaned. His head hurt. Alot.

Slowly sitting up and rubbing at his head, he glanced around himself, trying to see where he was, and thinking maybe he had fallen off his horse, and all that before was a nightmare. He blinked in confusion at what looked like the inside of a birds nest met his gaze. He rationalised this could be no birds nest, for it was atleast big enough for maybe a third of a village to fit in, maybe more.

The bones he saw next, horse, deer. Cattle and some other things. Strange things.

Letting out a cry as he realised he was going to be food for some animal still, and none had been a dream, the man heard a loud and raspy chuckle behind him. “Ah,” a gravel like voice croaked, “you think I eat humans? Silly creature, I find your kind tastes horrible.”

The man whirled about so fast he nearly fell over, and with wide eyes he found himself face to face, with a golden brown eye larger than his own head. “Don't believe me? You're alive aren't you. No meat on your bones anyways. Bet you would make me sick too.”

The bird continued to rasp out words, but it fell to noises he couldn't describe, but knew he'd never be able to replicate. Licking his lips, the man stared up at this creature. “What, what are you?”

The bird fluffed up a bit, looking away from the man, before saying, “It matters not. My end comes. And I wish it would come sooner, my mate, I miss her.” The giant bird looked at the human, its beak unable to express what a human face could, but the man could see the emotions in those giant eyes. “Why did the gods take her? And the rest of my kind?”

The man looked taken aback, “Gods? Fool bird, don't you know, there are no gods. You're .. mate, probably just died of old age!” He tried to reason, not wanting to believe such stories, even if it was from such a creature he had never seen before. Or never thought would show as much intelligence as a man.

The bird squawked as softly as it could manage for its size, “Foolish human,” it said, eyes focused on him, “Your kind forgets so easily.... just look over there, and you will believe me.”

The human rolled his eyes, but did as he was told, and the bird started speaking again. “I had been away, hunting a creature I had never before seen, nor saw again. And when I came back,” he fell silent, just dipping his beaked head in mourning.

And what the human saw over the wall of the birds nest as he finally made it to the top, scared him. It wasn't bones, he could take that. These were animals. No, what littered the area, of this mountain, (or something like it for it was like a mountain and high, but flat also), were not bones or a mummified carcass.

It was stone statues. He could tell by how they were frozen, they had been taken by surprise, some attempting to launch in the air, others defending chicks or eggs. All stone.

All dead.

Even though he was a coward, the human felt a pang of loss. Not really for the bird, but for his family. “The gods .. did this?”

“Yes.” Was all the bird said, now stairing off at some point in the distance. As silence fell on the two, the human wondered if this was how cowardice was repaid. To be forced to realise, you are all alone and no one of your family is left to help you.

He muttered as he slumped to the ground and pulled his legs up, hugging them. He might be an adult but there was still traces of a child in there. “I don't want to be alone,” he whispered, mostly to himself.

The giant bird slowly turned his head towards the man. “... we could be partners .. pact partners.. I have heard humans did it in the past. I have been alone for so long human.”

Hesitating a moment, as he did not know what this could mean, the man answered. And that, was that.

End Chapter Two​

 

[Yami Ryu]

Yes, this chapter is short I know, and can be dubbed a filler to chapter three. I wanted all characters to have a chapter, and I am not pushing chapters past how I feel they should be, and no others are this short so don't have a fit. I have chapters up to 11 or 12 finished so just catching up to the one on ffnet.

Chapter Three
Maiden's Monster​

She had found Terace, Steph, Arye all on the same day. They had scared her at first, frightened her so much, she had thought they would eat her. But Steph had calmed her down, and the other two shushed her, and slowly, she saw that these three were nice, and had no intent to gobble her up with a side order of dog.

Though she did miss her dog, Arye had expressed how sorry he was, while Terace had only muttered the mutt had tasted excellent. And Steph would knock him in the head, muttering to the two of them, how could they be so stupid, and the young human would giggle a little, and all was fine.

She loved how they bickered, arugued or sometimes fought. How they would cower if she scolded them for it when it got too rough, how they would beg and try to appease her to forgive them. And when she did, she hugged them. And if she closed her eyes tightly when she did it, she could almost imagine she was hugging three men, that were nice, and strong, and would keep her safe.

She never let them near the village. It wasn't safe she said, and for a few years, they listened too her. But it was Arye that noticed something in their last meeting and parting, and he got worked into a frenzy, and all but dragged his brothers after her. For as he pointed out, she never bid them goodbye before. She had always said see you in a few days.

They were almost too late, but they got there in time though they knew she'd forgive them. And they knew that when they slayed the men surrounding her, trying to offer a sacrifice to the gods. Steph wanted to scream at the idiots. What honor was it to beg to the gods in such a way. But Terance beat him to it. Flame and smoke spewed from his mouth and he and his brother kept the men at bay as Arye tended to their human friends bindings, working and gnawing away untill the last shread of rope fell to the ground, and her hands moved the gag, letting her sobs loose in the air before she wrapped her arms around Arye, sobbing still. She had thought that would be the last time she saw them.

And as the screams filled the night, she closed her eyes tightly, and she could almost imagine her three knights, slaying the foul beast that had raised her for the slaughter.

In the end, she forgave them for being almost too late.

 

[Yami Ryu]

And here's the next chapter.

Chapter Four
Violet angel, or demon?​

His name was Tybalt, he carried no last name, or atleast never told anyone what it was. He was young, but strong. And he followed orders without questioning them. He never backed down when the others in the platoon did, even when they were outnumbered.

But he never ignored the order to fall back when it was given.

He was a good soldier. He followed orders. He killed the enemy.

In his own way, he had a code of honor, it wasn't that he liked killing. It was just that he understood if these terrors weren't taken care of, they would kill more and more, untill there were no humans left anywhere. So he relentlessly made them have to pay for each attempt they tried for human life.

So he thought, this was why his comrads were dead, and he was not. The battle had been long and gruesom. The stench of death and rotting corpses of men and beast filled the air. Tybalt didn't know if any of his fellow soldiers were left alive, or even if they still fought.

Though he didn't care. Maybe it was best he died at the hands of the enemy, instead of retreating this time. Atleast in death he would know he had taken some of their numbers down with him when he died.

His two swords flashed in the dawn light that started to edge over the horizon, announcing that soon morning would be here. Usually the terrors fled the rays of that giant yellow orb. But this day they did not. So Tybalt fought all the harder.

Slash! A scream of pain and some red eyed thing fell to the ground. Crack! A swordblade struck bone and an attachment to another shadow was hacked away, leaving it to moan in pain and fall back. But for each shadow thing dealt with, ten more filled its place. Leaving Tybalt painfully outnumbered.

Even if he didn't want to show it, Tybalt was growing worn and tired from this battle. His breath came in and out raggedly as his arms and legs strained to move as he wanted them too. His armor was dented badly over his chest, and the helmet was long gone, forcing Tybalt to use one sword to almost constantly block attacks aimed at for his head.

He didn't know the enemy had gotten behind him, slipped past when he had been focused on attacking one of the now dead shadow things on the ground, so he didn't see the attack untill he saw the mockery of a sword tip erupting from his chest.

Tybalt could only stare in shock as the sword stayed where it was, and wasn't aware of the other points of steel cutting past his abused armor and digging into his flesh. In seconds, they lost interest in the stabbed human and dropped their holds on the swords. Tybalt could do nothing to halt his fall, and nothing he tried seemed to catch his breath as he lay akwardly on his side, gaping like a fish while bleeding continusly from his wounds.

He wasn't afraid to die, Tybalt just didn't want to die like this, he had thought he'd be able to take down more. But he had failed in doing so, and the swarm of black things marched on, parting around him like some foul thing to avoid stepping into. Not knowing wether to be insulted or thankfull for them avoiding him, Tybalt struggled valiantly against the blackness that tinted his vision and slowly crept upon him in his mind.

Finally, he gave up struggling, and that's when he heard it. An outraged yell, no, a roar. And Tybalt struggled again, however weakly, cracking his eyes open a bit, he saw nothing but sky and more dark swaths of whatever those things were.

The roar came again though, showing he hadn't been hearing things, or maybe he was, and just didn't know it.

“Foul creepers of darkness, this is my land, my home, my territory. Mine! Take your vile evil shapes elsewhere!” Came the harshly screamed words, and Tybalt would have started if he wasn't half dead. When they had been assigned here, all that had been living was in a village. That they had lost to the darkness. There should have been nothing else here.

Another screaming roar tore the dawn air, and the strench of burning flesh came to Tybalt's nose, forcing him to cough weakly, no matter how much it hurt his form or drained his strength.

More burning stench assaulted his senses, as smoke started to burn his eyes and make them water, but the coughing and blurry vision didn't keep him from seeing the massive fireballs that clawed and chewed into the dark shapes, bringing them down with loud cracking explosions amongst their death cries of pain and agony.

‘Is this hell?’ Tybalt thought, starting to fade again as the screams of the creatures started to ebb into the background, leaving him in silence. Whatever it was, the foul things were being tortured too so maybe it wasn't so bad to be in hell. Once more, he was about to allow death to swallow him when something prodded him, and he flinched, slightly. Just because he was numb, and cold, didn't mean that he couldn't feel pain when the swords were jostled.

He didn't even have the strength to open an eye, even as warm air blasted into his face.

“Are you dead, human?” A voice taunted him, and more warm air washed over his form, warming him from death's chill and smelling a bit better than the carnage around him. “Were you so weak as to die by a shade's hand?”

Tybalt thought if he could ignore the speaker it would go away and stop annoying him. But it didn't. It continued to nag and annoy him. This bothersome thing would not go away, and actually started to pull the swords from his frame.

Finally not even he could take it, how dare this thing, whatever it is, keep him from any semblance of a warriors death and honor! Cracking his eyes open, he tried to speak in outrage, but found he could only croak, so Tybalt glared instead.

“Ah, so there we have the mighty human. Can he not speak? Is he mute?”

Tybalt just continued to glare at the form, wondering what sort of devil was this? This taunting lizard like face that stared down at him with violet scales and amber eyes. Large teeth adorned it's maw that easily were inches long. Creamish colored scales covered the underside of the creature while tinges of pink were here and there on the cream.

The muzzle came down again, and nudged him, not caring if it jostled wounds, the creature was acting like he was some rag doll or child's toy to play with. He was no toy!

As if sensing the anger housed within the human, the creature chucked roughly, pulling away enough to not jostle him. “Do you wish to live human? To take down these wretched shadows that take over my land, and your own?”

It recived no answer. Not yet anyways. “You are inferior to them, and myself. No human can match my strength, let alone what you sought to fight against. But ... you intrigue me human.”

Once again the muzzle lowered and shifted, one amber eye focusing on Tybalt's face. “If you make a pact with me human, you will live. You will become strong. You may even see the end of these miserable cretins that plauge our lives like locusts.”

It was too tempting, he had to take this deal, this offer. This chance for finally actually doing something to these shadows that thought they could do as they please! “Fine,” Tybalt managed to croak out, and the beast grinned.

If you asked him later about it, Tybalt would probably answer honestly, he had no idea how he summoned the strength to do as the animal bid. Or how he managed to survive the process that felt like his body was being torn apart. But with the pain, came a white flooding light, that seemed to rejuvenate him once the orb, his soul, the beast had told him, touched it's own.

As the light faded, he found his body was healed, while his clothes and armor, unfortunately, did not fair so well. Still bloodstained and ragged, Tybalt could only grumble a bit as he shrugged off the now useless armor once he stood up. Turning his attention to the beast, he saw it was a dragon.

Shocked, he could only point, how could it be, that drunkard had exclaimed dragons were only tales to scare children, but then had gone to say they were slugish beasts that looked like large lizards with squat wings and deformed heads.

This was nothing like that, if, Tybalt mused, this was a woman and not a dragon, he would surely label the creature beautiful. For it looked like it was as deadly as gracefull.

The dragon seemed to read his thoughts and chuckled at the compliment, “How kind of you to flatter me so, even if you are a human.”

Tybalt flushed a little before looking shocked again, “You can hear my thoughts!?”

The dragon, that he now somehow knew as female, shrugged in a dragonic way. ‘It is what a pact does. We are one. And we can speak to eachother over long distances by thinking, like so.”

Tybalt heard her voice, but didn't see her mouth open at all. This was all new, and verk shocking, he decided. And he didn't like it that the dragon seemed amused that he was shocked by this. But before he could snap out at her, the dragon's head shifted, her gaze going from him to somewhere behind him. Turning, he wondered if this was a ploy to get out of being chewed out.

“There is something ... wrong that way,” the dragon murmured, her eyes half narrowed as a long violet and cream striped tail snapped back and forth behind her, while violet and tinged pink cream wings fluttered, as if the dragon was anxious to get into the air. “It feels like those wretched shadow creepers, but .. bigger.”

Tybalt snorted a bit as he sheathed his twin swords, “It sounds like you are afraid Dragon.”

The violet dragon shot him a look before her gaze turned back to the horizon where distant mountains could barely be seen amongst the clouds that covered them and the sky around them. And then she gasped, “We should leave, now! Quickly!”

Muttering, Tybalt snapped out a ‘fine’ as he looked for his horse (even though he guessed it was dead), but was interupted by the dragon as she snapped him up in her jaws and tossed him up so he landed sprawled on her back, just able to clutch at her scales least he fall off. “No time for such fruitless efforts we must take to the skies!” She half roared while crouching and leaping into the air, wings straining to lift her up as they beat rapidly.

Leaving poor Tybalt to clutch madly as he was jerked and jostled about, almost loosing his hold on the dragon skin and scales he clung too. And as a sense of dread started to creap up onto him as evident fear leaked from the beast, Tybalt found himself hoping that the dragon was over reacting.

 

[Yami Ryu]

Forgot to put a raiting on this. PG to PG 13 so far for the chapters I have.

Chapter Five
The Flying Dead​

Tybalt tried to keep telling himself he wasn't scared. That this wasn't frightening him. That he wasn't whimpering like some babe as the violet dragon continued to fly on, heedless of anything around her as she powered away from the scene of his near death. Still she wouldn't speak or say what had spooked her so. And a small part of Tybalt mused that maybe she was too proud to admit she was wrong, and he was right. That she had taken flight over nothing.

And that was when he heard it. A loud, keening scream like wail that sounded like some tortured soul wanting to be released. A cold chill swept up his body and he shivered, feeling the dragon do the same. “Wha .. what was that!?” He shouted above the wind so he'd be heard, forgetting about the mental link the pact allowed them.

‘Something evil,’ was all she would tell him before shutting up and turning her attention back to flying, leaving Tybalt in the dark.

Trying to take his mind off the fear he would deny his heart held, the former soldier, or still soldier, he didn't quiet know himself, tried to figure out how a dragon existed, when it was said to never have existed ever. Maybe it had something to do with those shadow things he had been fighting the last few weeks. And the sightings of horrible beasts that stole lives in the dead of night, or even were so bold to attack during the day.

Could the dragon be working with the evil he fought against?

Shaking the thought away, Tybalt dismissed it, if the beast had been working with the evil, it would have eaten him or left him to die, not made this pact thing with him.

Casting an uneasy look over his shoulder, Tybalt tried to reason with himself. That the scream on the wind had only been the wind, that the dragon was messing with his mind.

But Tybalt was forced to see the truth, or hear it again atleast, as the screaming wail resounded in the air again, starting the young man badly, and he looked over his shoulder. Jaw dropping, Tybalt found himself staring in horror.

The black haired man would never admit to being scared if it ever happened. Or so he had thought. That had been before catching sight of a cloud that seemed to radiate evil and hatred. From this miasma, the wailing screams were coming from.

And just when Tybalt had thought he had seen everything, a long, dirty white and mucus green object jutted forth from the noxious cloud of darkness. Jaws parted and trails of something like reddish slime dripped from the teeth they held. Eyeless sockets glew with a hellish inferno as flesh so putrid seemed to be leaking off of the creature.

The human's mouth felt try as his heart and mind seemed to freeze as somehow this thing screamed again, and then erupted from the foul smoke like cloud. Wings of bone somehow catching air and holding the creature aloft as it's rotting corpse befouled the sky as it chased them.

Tybalt would never admit to fear. But that didn't stop him from feeling it.

Terror radiated off of the dragon he rode also, and another feeling. Immense anger and hatred. “Abomination!” She bellowed out as flames spewed from her mouth.

Tybalt didn't care one way or another if this was holy or an abomination. That thing, was larger than the dragon he rode on. By atleast ten feet. And somehow, without proper wings, muscles, or anything of the sort, it was gaining on them.

The dragon, thing, wailed again and seemed to put on a burst of speed. The violet one beneath him screamed in fury, rage overcoming her fear. And Tybalt caught snatches of thoughts that boiled and frothed like water left unkept over a fire. Such as ‘how dare they send an abomination!’ and ‘I will not be defeated by a mindless shell!’

The thing was making a continous wailing sound now, and Tybalt's head began to hurt, and he felt sick. Nauseous even as his stomach trembled, threatening to empty whatever it still held.

Moaning slightly, Tybalt slumped onto the dragon, his grip loosening. The dragon seemed to sense this as her thoughts were pulled out of her rage and the fear fueled flight. ‘Do not fall now human!’

In other circumstances, Tybalt would have snarled out he had a name, but right now, he was just more focused in clinging to the violet scales, and trying to not let go, but it was such a hard thing to do now. His head ached terribly and his body wasn't far off. He only managed to groan and shut his eyes tightly.

What affected her partner, was starting to affect her. Just because she was stronger than the human didn't mean she had much more of an advantage. Gritting her teeth and narrowing her eyes, she tried to speed up, outrun this wailing abomination of a wraith. She would never aknowledge the rotting corpse chasing behind her as a dragon.

Hissing past clenched dagger like teeth, she had her eyes just about closed when an idea came to her, and she abruptly shifted and started to power upwards, muscles screaming at the strain as she lifted not just herself but the human on her back higher into the air.

From his precarious perch on the creature's back, Tybalt slipped a little, just barely managing to hang onto the beast as she sought a higher point in the air. The bone beast, if Tybalt opened his eyes, was right below them. Wailing louder, it turned so abruptly, bones snapped and cracked loudly in the air but it flew on, chasing its prey, never feeling any pain.

‘… cold,’ the dragon heard the human whimper as she herself was starting to feel the affects, and quickly, she twisted, started diving; snarling mentally at the human to hang on least he fall. Not knowing if he did or not, the dragon kept the dive up. Faster and faster she fell, quickly closing what space she'd managed to gain between her and the screaming flying bone pile.

Just when it seemed she was about to crash into the rotting dragon corpse that continiously wailed and tear herself to shreads from the bones, she let out a giant ball of flame that scorched and burned her opponent. Putting forth a foul stench and cloud she dove through, causing her and her pact to cough and sputter for fresh air. The resurected dead beast screamed still, but this time in pain and not in attack, and slowly, the dragon and Tybalt started to feel a bit better.

Then Tybalt moaned and just managed to make it to the 'side' of the airship he was flying on, as he was still a bit addled, and lost what little contents his stomach held.

The dragon snorted in disgust, but was just glad it wasn't on her as she shifted, locking her wings in place nearly as she let out a weary sigh that was softly echoed by her passenger as he shifted and started to doze off. While she was forced to wait for rest untill she could find a safe landing spot.

Leaving Tybalt lost in his dreams.

As he dreamed, Tybalt started to become aware... he felt others. Far, far away, but still felt them. Somehow he knew they were like him. Whole, yet incomplete. Strong, yet weak. A part of them gone forever, like something was now missing from him.

Slowly the awareness of the others faded, and he was left to wander. Wisps of desires and other things filled his dreaming, untill something stired, that was not his own making. It was large, and like an inferno.

Tybalt tried backing away from it, but it charged him, burning him and scaring him. Soundless cries of pain escaped, but he could not fend this attacker off, and slowly he heard singing in the background.

“No more angels in the sky
Gone the dragons flying high
All you left on the floor
Beg for mercy, fight no more.”

He faltered, and the red beast struck him all the harder, sending him tumbling end over end. Slowly, as he recovered himself, still in agony over the burns the thing gave him, Tybalt got to his feet, and was assaulted again, this time by something smaller, but just as fierce.

“Gone your guardian
Gone your friends
All that's left is pain
That never ends.”

It seemed the voice was right, Tybalt was in pain that somehow kept increasing, yet no matter how much he wanted to scream or writhe in pain, the thing kept attacking him, adding to what he felt and preventing him from trying to seek relief for the wounds.

“We have won
You have lost
See the tru-”

The song cut as something screamed in outright fury, and the thing attacking Tybalt was smashed by something large and roaring in anger and hate and malice and contempt and everything that was dark and dangerous. It screamed and hissed and convulsed, slamming into everything that wasn't Tybalt. The singer, whatever it had been screamed itself, only in anger like it was wronged by this snarling form that Tybalt couldn't decipher.

And then Tybalt woke up. He didn't know he had been screaming for an hour straight nearly. He didn't know he was safely on the ground. He didn't know he was now whimpering and sobbing.

And he didn't know that he was clutching to the dragon like she was a lifeline in a storm as her eyes blazed with malice as she kept them pinned on the quickly disappearing form of the wraith that had dared attack HER human.

-

“How are you back? You should still be ravaging the country side with your death cries.” A smooth and silky voice asked the bone dragon before her. The creature was silent, still, it didn't even leave rot on the highly polished white marble floor.

But somehow the speaker understood it even in its silence.

“You...” the speaker started, sounded a bit confused, and a fraction frightened, “were defeated… by what?”

Silence hung heavy in the air as the skeleton dragon remained quiet once more.

Then a snarl came and the bone dragon imploded in a flury of rotten meat and bone, and then was gone. One more silence riegned before it sounded like fists were being slammed on a table, “This is NOT happening! Not after all we planned!”

“Shh, soothe that temper dear brother. All will go as planned. We only need to send something more, of a subtle nature.”

“Like what!?”

“Calm yourself brother, and I was thinking .. why not the dream walkers? They should easily find anyother pacts, if they exist.”

“But sister, one of them is-”

“Hush, I know. Now just calm down brother, and let your sister handle this mess.”

A sigh.

“Fine.”

End Chapter Five​

 

[Yami Ryu]

Annnnd chapter six.

Chapter Six
Falling Castles of Sand​

‘Wake up,’ it sounded like the ocean. Roaring over the turmoil of this horrid nightmare that had captured Gwenyth, pulling her under torture and haunting words she could just make out. But even with that order to awaken, Gwenyth could not escape the nightmare that bound her so.

She struggled, trying to call for help but not a sound escaped her, and she was pulled under the pain even more. It seemed hopeless, but Gwenyth wasn't in this alone.

A roar, sounding like crashing waves and thunder booming out in the distance, and it felt like liquid lightning flashed through her frame, it was the only way the young woman could describe it before she bolted awake, gasping for breath and in a cold sweat.

“Oceaus?” Her voice was unsteady as she tried to calm her fluttering heart and mind. For several moments there was only silence before a soft ‘ah,’ as the kraken found she had escaped and settled down. His rage calming like an ocean after a storm. ‘Are you alright?’

Gwenyth nodded her head, even if the kraken couldn't really hear her, nor see her, he could feel her emotions and hear her thoughts. “Yes,” she whispered, sounding still a bit unsettled but outside of that she seemed fine. “What .. what happened?” She asked as she shifted, getting out of bed, ignoring her dead left arm, and fumbled about with her right for her robe, as there seemed to be a chill in the air all a sudden.

‘It… I had hoped you would not have to face this,’ Oceaus responded after hesitating for several moments. And he sounded remoursfull. Frowning, Gwenyth pressed the Kraken for answers and they came, sluggishly, but he answered.

‘It is a form of .. dead spirit. A Wraith, of some sort. Able to walk into another creatures soul and haunt their dreams… and they readily attack pacts thinking it's an easier target.’

Cold dread started to fill her. She for some reason deep down in her gut, did not like what Oceaus told her, and looked up after finishing tying the knot on the robe. “Anything else, Oceaus?”

She felt the kraken hesitate again before; ‘What you felt .. was an echo. It wasn't you that was targeted.. but it ensnared you nontheless.’

“And?” She once more pressed.

‘They know of you.’

Pausing, and looking startled, Gwenyth blinked cerulean eyes in alarm. “They?”

‘I've said enough for now, you need to move Gwenyth. Pack suplise and anything needed. A weapon too, whatever you can master. It is no longer safe for you.’

Gwenyth gave an unlady like snort. “I'm protected as well as anyone could be Oceaus, why would I need to fear?”

‘Because Gwenyth,’ Oceaus started softly, almost sounding like a gently scolding father and it made the blonde woman scowl a little more, ‘the guards are most likely already dead. You have precious little time. I am not scared of death, living for such a long time. But you little one, I think do not want to die just yet.’

And Gwenyth found herself starting again at what Oceaus said, and part of her stunned and disbelieving mind agreed. She had no plans to die just yet.

‘Then arm yourself Gwenyth, for I am unable to be of aid for you in this battle.’

Pretending to never notice she gulped in fear, the woman felt Oceaus pull back from contact a bit, allowing her to think without feeling pressured by the giant beast she had made a pact with.

Quickly sheading the robe and nightgown, Gwenyth pulled on a simple tunic and pants that, under the advising of the kraken, had •borrowed from one of the men in the castle. She had nothing in her room to arm herself with. Unless she thought she could bedazzle anything malivolent with jewlery and shiny objects. Though she doubted that could work.

She felt foolish, but there was a part of her that was afraid. What if Oceaus was right? It would probably be best if she left here anyways, it had been hard enough to explain the tattoo upon her arm and why it was as if dead without giving away she had made a pact.

Gwenyth knew what they did to people that they thought were witches. She did not want to be burned at the stake.

Pausing at her door, Gwenyth hesitated, then quickly back tracked to the small desk by her bed and hastily searched it for something. Once she found the item, a leather pouch of sorts, Gwenyth with much paitence managed to get it untied and open. With that set, she set it down and started plucking small golden trinkets while breaking others to get at small gems and such, then placed her findings in the leather pouch, managed to tie it again with the use of teeth and hand, and placed it around her neck to keep it safe from pick pockets.

Feeling a bit safer with something like money now with her, Gwenyth once more hurried to her bedroom door and opened it a crack before peering out of it. She didn't see anyone walking the hallways. That was good. Closing the door, she made one last preperation, she tackled her footwear. And tried to keep her grumbling over the boots soft and under her breath.

Once finished there, the young woman cautiously and near silently opened her door and slipped out when the opening was wide enough for her to fit through.

Her heart sounded unaturally loud in her ears as her breath came a bit to quickly. Aprehension filled her. What if Oceaus was wrong ... but worse, what if he was right?

Gwenyth didn't want to stick around to find out, not anymore.

Slowly creeping down the stone hallway as quietly as one can when in boots.

Down the hallway, past a corner, through another hallway, around another corner, through a room. Quietly past a sleeping guarding, another hallway, more turns, and finally, the armory.

Testing the door, Gwenyth found it was unlocked. Pushing it open the rest of the way, she peered into the semi dark room. The only illumiation seemed to be a single candle that was down to the last hour line of wax.

Silently she slipped into the room and shut the door behind her, hoping nothing and no one had seen her enter the room. And with that, the young woman started to look over her choices for protection. She passed the heavy swords that would require even a grown man to handle with two hands. And the lances and spears that were lining the walls. She didn't even glance to the war hammers, war axes, maces and flails as they were too heavy for one hand, or were too dangerous for inexperienced people.

Gwenyth paused long enough infront of a pile of armor to choose a helmet that fit her, and some other small pieces of metal that easily fit her, without being too big or heavy. Looking up from completely covering her left arm in chainmail and armor, to keep it safe, Gwenyth spotted the short swords and long daggers. Ironically the daggers were longer than the short swords, but their cutting edge wasn't as good. But ..

Without hesitating, the young woman hurried over, grabbing a sheathed dagger, she fumbled a bit before managing to get it attached to her belt, and then did the same for another, before taking up a short sword also. So even if she lost the sword or one of the daggers, she was still armed.

Just as she finished arming herself, an alarmed cry came from the kraken, ‘Gwenyth, they come! I can feel their evil oozing forth from the ground and sky! Run! Run to me Gwenyth!”

Starting badly, the fair skinned human almost dropped her third weapon. But she managed to keep hold of it and recovered before sprinting to the door, eyes growing wide with fear. For just because she had sharp things to protect her with, did not mean Gwenyth was ready for combat yet.

Pulling the door open when she reached it, she barely slowed down enough to prevent crashing into the door or walls as she flew out of the armory, the metal wieghed her down, but she was still swift enough on her feet to make it through the labyrinth of halls and rooms when she heard the first sound that something was wrong.

A scream of fear and pain, that was silenced as quickly as it came. And Oceaus roared at her in her mind to hurry. She'd never felt him in such a state before, even worse than when she had awoken from that induced nightmare that had happened in what felt like hours ago.

More screams came, and some battle cries, but those too were silenced as quickly as they bit into the air.

Running down the stairs as quickly as she dared, Gwenyth did not dare to look over her shoulder, and once she had cleared the last step, she sprinted again. Praying that the thump thudding in her ears was that of her own heart and not the thudding of footsteps running after her.

She felt like a coward, a weakling. Some pathetic child running from a shadow she could easily defeat by casting light onto it, but still she continued to run, terror gripped her heart and prevented her from doing anything else but run, and loathe herself for doing so.

Through the doors she burst out of the castle, quickly, she spun around and forced them shut, hoping they locked when she did it, she ran again, heading to the stables as she heard the slam of many bodies against a wooden door. It sickened her but maybe it would buy her the time she so dearly needed.

Ragged breath and shuddering heart showed her body was getting worn down by this running. The soreness in her body also showed that, but she managed to keep upright and moving as she came to the the stable holding the few horses that were owned by her father and the Knights he employed.

The place smelt of hay, dung and horse, but it wasn't overly unpleasent. Though it was something Gwenyth wouldn't mind avoiding in the future.

But she wasn't heartless. Using her sword she cut at the rope keeing the horses in the stalls and watched them flee one by one from the stable as they knew something was wrong. Their body language just screamed it as they paced back and forth, stomped or whinned at times with wide eyes and ears pressed flat against their skulls.

In the last stall was a brown mare, and it was the animal Gwenyth chose to ride. Waisting enough time to snatch a blanket, she tossed it over the plainly colored equine's back before pulling herself on and kicked it soundly. Giving a startled whinny, the horse reared slightly before charging forward, bolting out of the stable and dashing over the ground with quiet some speed.

And just as Gwenyth thought she had escape, an explosive racket came from behind, and spooked the horse into running faster. Risking a glance over her shoulder, Gwenyth saw that half the castle had seemed to just collapse, and shapes were swarming out of the rubble. Her heart wrenched as she realised there was no one left alive in her old home.

‘Mother .. father..’ she thought, eyes watering as she found herself alone in the world, save for Oceaus. Letting out a sob she looked forward, trying to push the pain away, but it would not budge.

And miles away, deep in the ocean, Oceaus mourned with his pact at her loss.

End Chapter Six​

 

[Yami Ryu]

And chapter seven is here! well it was always finished, just needed to be posted.

Chapter Seven
Losing and Gaining​

Meagan wasn't weak, nor was she exactly timid. She would fight when she had to, but there were some things she just could not fight and defeat. Like this wraith thing that floated about before her and taunted her. She'd just been about to go to a well deserved rest when this thing had shown up.

Brandishing the staff her ‘brothers’ had given to her for her protection when they weren't there, she took a few steps back as the wraith thing seemed unafraid of her weapon. Reaching out with a skeletal hand, the thing gave an ungodly moaning wail from the skull like head.

She had thought it bad enough, but the wail seemed to be summons for worse things. Far worse than what she could handle. Yelping in fear, Meagan dropped the staff she and bolted, trying to flee the monsters the wraith thing summoned to try and take her down.

Meagan was already screaming for help from her brothers before bolting, but now it increased by ten, and she heard a responce from them. A loud roar in the distance, seems they had been held up by something, and had thought she'd only been crying out for them because she felt their struggle against something large. But now found out that she had been crying for help for herself.

But they were still too far away to provide help for now, leaving Meagan on her own for the time being. Focusing on the flight from the creatures, she was able to tune out the shrieks and other cries escaping the things that sought her flesh.

Pushing past stunted trees and not caring how the limbs seemed to catch clothing and rip it, she continued on, splashing through a small stream and scrambling onto the bank on the other side. Panting and nearly out of breath from the seemingly eternity of a run, Meagan turned around, eyes wide as she saw the creatures rushing for her, and then skidding to a halt from the stream she had just waded through. The things, which she could tell smelt like dead things left in the sun for far too long, moaned and shifted on the other side. It was like the running water prevented them from crossing.

Meagan was safe... for the time being.

Grinning brightly at the fact she had managed to prevent herself from being a victim, Meagan made a rude gesture to the creatures on the other side of the bank she'd seen men use before, and then bolted again, staying close to the stream as she headed for Terace, Steph and Ayre, hoping they were fairing as well as she had.

-

The trio of brothers, weren't fairing well. Ayre panted heavily as his head hung low, blood streaming from a bad gash above an eye while the other was sealed shut from swelling as it'd been hit badly. His white fur was stained red and black from his own blood and that of his enemies. His side was heavily injured too and that of his wing.

Terace also was hurt badly, once proud dark green scales were now dulled and dented. Covered in gore, blood and earth. He was panting as heavily as Ayre, and was also injured on a side and a wing. Gashes ran criss cross over a leg and his neck too.

Steph had it worse off, an earlier attack was leaving him just about blind and helpless as a babe as he lashed out blindly, trying to strike down an enemy far better and more capable than themselves.

The beast they fought shrieked in glee as it twisted, launching out with a multitude of apendages, flaying the brothers again, causing severe damage and pain to the trio and as one they screamed.

Falling heavily, the brother trio realised that they were going to die ... and they were united by the hatred of leaving behind the human they had come across.

“I can almost hear her now,” Ayre whispered, his goat ears flicking a bit as his eyes closed. And Terace mumbled an agrement to that as Steph stayed silent, already giving in to death.

“Leave them alone you bully!” The three heard Meagan scream out, and it was no illusion. Standing as big as life several yards off, was Meagan, brandishing a makeshift torch, the kindling a sacrificed part of her dress.

The thing hissed and screeched as it seemed to see the fire Meagen held. “Yeah, you better fear me!” She called out as she charged forward, waving the torch about, forcing the thing from her brothers before lobbing it at the screaming thing. It squealed as the fire easily set it alight, catching it on fire with the ease of a acohol drenched rope.

Squealing louder, the thing started to flop about, trying to put itself out, but it seemed to make it worse, before with a keening wail, the creature imploded on itself, the fire burning what didn't seem to magically disapear.

Breathing harshly, Meagan whooped in triumph before remembering her fallen brothers and quickly rushed to their side, “Steph, Terace, Ayre! Oh what did that foul beast do to you!?” Meagan sobbed out as she fell to her knees infront of her fallen brothers.

Terace groaned a little, and cracked his eyes open, and seemed to try to say something but he lost what little strength he had, and he fell limp, sobbing, Meagan found the only thing she could do here, was watch as her brothers died.

And then she heard the soft voice of Steph, “Meagan ... you, you can save us … if .. if you are willing,” Steph coughed, red coming up from his mouth and alarming Meagan to no end. “I'll do anything brother, just let me help you, let me save you!” She cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks as her light sapphire eyes continued to spill out more from their depths.

Steph felt guilty, the human would never know what she could offer to give up to save them, before he started to explain carefully, for what she must do.

Barely had he stopped speaking did she do it, crying in pain and from the fear of loding the only family she had left now. It felt like forever as he slowly got his soul out, their soul out, for the brothers were connected. The light was bright, almost too bright, and it could have hurt, but, it didn't. It felt good somehow. Better than nearly anything Steph had felt before.

And when it slowly faded away, Steph felt his brothers slowly waking up. And as his newly healed eyes settled on Meagan, she seemed alright. She was smiling and crying and then she launched herself at Step and the other two, trying to hug the three at the same time.

Terace lowered his head and wrapped his neck around Meagan carefully while Ayre just leaned his head against the human's shoulder, mindful of the dusky yellow horns of his as Steph just closed his eyes as Meagan hugged his neck, wondering when Meagan would realise she had lost something, to keep them alive.

But deep down, the lion of the Chimera, knew that Meagan would gladly have given up everything she could ever offer to keep the three of them with her.

End Chapter Seven​

 

[Yami Ryu]

And finally, caught up with the one on FFnet. Both are at chapter eight. And ironically, suffering from lack of reviews.

Chapter Eight
Falling Divided​

Tybalt had finally managed to shake off the horrible thoughts still floating about from that nightmare brought by that thing, that the dragon said attacked him. Shuddering a little, Tybalt started to wonder if anything was still safe from these things if they could even attack you in your own mind.

The dragon seemed to notice his shudder and the way his thoughts seemed to help agitate him into a glowering mess, but how could she not with Tybalt trying to figure out where you sat on a dragon, and with the bond between them.

“I will not let something like that happen again human.”

Tybalt snorted a little and then muttered something under his breath before saying, “Why did it happen in the first place, and my name isn't human.”

The Dragon didn't answer right away, infact, she didn't respond at all.

Tybalt paused as he climbed off the dragon, feet dangling and far above the ground enough for him to dangle a little. “Dragon ...” Tybalt began, sending the dragon a look that she clearly ignored by not looking at Tybalt, “Were you asleep?”

“I don't have to answer that.”

“You were!” Tybalt shouted, letting one hand move to point at her head, and of course caused himself to lose his grip sending himself sliding and falling to the ground with a thud. Wincing a little, he grumbled before picking himself up, and then turned a glare onto the dragon. “You go on about how you're stronger than me and those, things, and you were asleep yourself!”

The violet lizard like creature snarled softly before turning burning amber eyes onto Tybalt, “I am stronger than you, do not dare compare me to the likes of you. I did not see you trying to out fly an abomination!”

“No I just had been stabbed half to death a few hours ago and had something try to invade my dreams! I think the true weakling here is you dragon!”

Roaring, she lunged, and for a few seconds Tybalt had the horrible realisation maybe he went too far as the dragon landed a solid hit to his middle and sent him flying backwards to crash into a tree.

Groaning in pain as he let himself lay where he fell after that, he heard the dragon whining in pain also and started to laugh, or as much as he dared as his torso still hurt, alot.

“I should eat you!” The dragon declared, and Tybalt only laughed at the dragon still.

“You can't, you'll hurt yourself more,”

Snarling, he felt a shadow loom over him and the dragon snorted on him before shoving him again with her snout. “I should have let you die.” She snapped out before taking to the air, leaving Tybalt to recover on his own.

Tybalt just continued to lay where he had fallen, muttering near inaudible but a few things were said louder than others, such as ‘moody, *****,’ and ‘should have fallen to spite you,’ before he finally shifted to get to his feet, still muttering under his breath like it was the best thing to do when mad at something.

Drawing one of his swords and using it as a sort of cane, Tybalt was able to stay upright and hobble around a bit, as his body still didn't seem to want to work properly. That can mostly be blamed on the fact he had been struck in the middle, and thrown against a tree. But as stubborn as he was, he would never let something like that slow him down.

So continuing to use the weapon as a walking aid, Tybalt started to make his way to wherever. Not really caring where he was going, just so long as he gets there and doesn't have to deal with the dragon anytime soon.

Up in the air, far above him, the dragon was growling and hissing to herself as she caught air currents and thermals to stay aloft without having to waste effort in flapping her wings. As she continued to stay in the air, in something she would adamantly claim was not a tactic to avoid speaking with the human, the violet colored dragon thought she saw something on the horizon on one of her circlings up a thermal. Nearly turning on a dime, she brought herself about to face the far off object.

And upon viewing it again, she almost fell out of the sky. It was another dragon! And not an abomination! Roaring out in calling to the dragon, she heard it answer faintly with a roar of it's own.

Flapping madly, the violet one started to make her way to the far off dragon, joy surging through her. She had thought she was the last, and here she was shown she was wrong! She couldn't tell what color the other dragon was, but once she was closer she would see it. All she cared about was getting to that other dragon…

Forgetting entirely about the human she was bonded too.

-

It felt like he had been walking for hours, but it had to only have been a few minutes, right? Right.

Tybalt was not going to say he was afraid, even if he really never had ever traversed a forest in the dark. And he tried not to focus on the fact it had only been just after noon a few minutes ago.

Cautiously, he reached out to contact the dragon, only to find a void. Still, Tybalt would not let himself feel fear. Now was not the time for such petty emotions. As cautiously as he'd searched for the dragon, he slowly drew his second weapon into his free hand, not wanting to wait till it was too late to draw it.

The wrongness of whatever was going on just seeped into his mind to the core. It had that same nasty taste as when those shadow soldier things had attacked, striking down his fellow warriors, and himself.

‘Where is that blasted dragon?’ He thought acidly, ‘she should be here!’ And not flying around and leaving him to get out of this possible trap. Even if he had been the one to walk right into it.

But she wasn't here and Tybalt was on his own.

Eyes darting about as he tried to keep calm and his breath even, only now did he realise just how dark it had become, he couldn't even see past his face. His eyes grew wide, it hadn't been that dark seconds ago!

“What is this!” He shouted, trying to hide the tremor of fear, “Show yourself!”

Silence ... then, laughter. It was faint at first and then grew louder and louder untill the maker of the sound stepped forward, and the darkness started to seep away. Tybalt stepped back, bringing both swords up, pointing towards the figure.

It was obviously female, and the way it was scantily clad helped prove that fact as it showed off more skin than Tybalt had even seen a prostitute show, a twin wings flared out from behind her, and from the waves of golden blonde hair another smaller pair twitched idly. Her eyes were like the darkest sapphires, and skin looked almost as white as snow, and soft as silk.

For a moment, Tybalt wanted to reach out and touch this apparent goddess, throw himself to her feet, beg her to-

Green eyes growing wide, Tybalt quickly shook his head and sent the devious and traitor like thoughts away. Banishing them. Then narrowing his eyes he almost growled at the .. thing before him.

“Who are you, what do you want!” He snapped out, glaring at this woman like being. She smiled, showing off a set of perfect teeth ... that were also sharp at the ends, much like a wolfs'.

“Why you, little human,” she began, nearly whispering as she stepped closer causing Tybalt to falter a second before he held his ground. “You see ... you are messing with our plans, and I can't stand for that.”

Shifting his wieght slightly, Tybalt prepared himself to attack this being. And this seemed to amuse her. She laughed. “You think you can fight me, a goddess? You don't even have your partner with you,”

Sneering, the woman pointed over Tybalt's shoulder. “It is he, you should be more worried about fighting, mortal.”

Wide eyed, Tybalt whirled about, just in time to see the large long sword sweep down and nearly flay him open, if he had been just an inch closer to that silver/blue weapon, he'd be dead.

Leaping backwards and holding one sword out ready to pary any attack and one close to block it if it made it through the other, Tybalt glanced at his opponent, and felt the tiniest ammount of dread. For Tybalt found himself looking into the face of a madman … that surely had far better training than he, and years of experience in combat that out wieghed Tybalt's own.

“Gone the angels from up high
Gone the judges in the sky
Cry in fear all that's left
For your fate is that of ash,”

His attention was snapped to the thing that called herself a goddess, that voice, that had been the one to torment his dream before! But the mistake Tybalt made cost him dearly, as the maddened warrior leapt forth, slashing at Tybalt, sending one of his weapons flying into the gloom, clattering loudly from wherever it had landed.

The insane warrior grinned and lunged at Tybalt again, forcing him to backtrack then break out into a run to stay ahead of the sword. Terror clutch at his heart, soul and mind. This was someone he could not fight against! He was going to die! This wasn't how he wanted to die! But Tybalt just couldn't force himself to turn around and face his enemy, to die a soldier's death. For some unknown reason he just couldn't fight off this terror that clawed at him.

‘Dragon where are you!? I need you! I admit it! Where are you!’

But there came no answer to his call.

He was alone. He was going to have to face this human and this goddess on his own. But he'd never be able to do that if he was still gripped by this mindless terror that urged him to run and not fight. Clenching his eyes shut, he tried to fight this near overpowering urge to continue to run like a coward.

It didn't seem to work, and the insane man that seemed to enjoy the thought of being able to slice Tybalt to ribbons with his sword continued to chase him, taking advantage of the unguarded back and attempted to do just that.

Crying out, Tybalt felt the sword slice into his back and his shirt was gone, the reason was clear as the long angery, bleeding line in his flesh would have reached the collar of his shirt to the him. He staggered, and the enemy once more took advantage, slashing at his back again.

More blood flew and Tybalt screamed, it didn't feel just like a sword cutting him, it felt like the sword was draining something from him, like his blood, and it left a line of fire and agony in it's wake. He whirled around as best he could, brining his lone sword to bear. But the enemy's massive silver/blue sword was nearly three times in width, and heavier. His sword was no match as it was shattered.

Gasping in shock all Tybalt could do was stare at the remains of one of his weapons, there was barely a shard of metal in the hilt he held.

So he didn't see when the sword came down and struck him a third time, sending him over, or again and again as he lost concious after the fourth attack. The man continued to savage the fallen form of Tybalt before the goddess waved her hand. “Enough, you've killed him. And even if he isn't dead now, with those wounds he'll bleed out in moments. We have others to take care of.”

The man didn't respond verbally, but he did remove his weapon from Tybalt's bleeding stomach, and headed over to the goddess, both disappearing in a flash of light as the shadows started to disappear from around the limp and bleeding form of Tybalt.

He lay on the moss covered ground like an abandond toy. All was silent.

And then; ‘HUMAN!’ The scream tore at the air in the form of a roar, and everything near telepathic. One would have had to be death and mindless to not hear that traumatised scream of agony, fear and loss.

The dragon didn't wonder how she was still alive, or how she was just feeling her own pain from her own injuries and non from her partner. She screamed again, as if it would fight back the reaper, bring fear to the heart of the collector of dead. But it didn't work.

Shuddering from her own wounds, the violet form fell to the earth feet away from the human, amber eyes growing dull as crimson cascaded down violet, pooling around herself much as the human's own blood did to him.

The silence stretched out to an eternity before a crack of thunder from a far off storm broke the silence. But not the truth of what happened.

Tybalt and the Dragon were dead.

End Chapter Eight​