FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 12

Infinity eventually was able to get to sleep despite the horror of having killed her adopted son's real mother. She twisted and turned in her sleep, the guilt eating at her even in the safety of her dreams. From the clouded darkness of her mind came the red snout of her father, staring at her with his emerald eyes. He just glared at her, judging her, and condemning her actions. She turned away, her chest starting to ache as she could not look him in the face. However when she did so, she came face to face with the pained look of Marae, with tears running down her face.

Infinity lept back with a startled yelp, nearly falling backwards onto the black void. She held a paw to her face, and curled around herself when flames suddenly appeared around her and burned away the images before her. How could I? The thought stiung at her mind as the flesh and scales burned away from the two loved ones she stole from this plane. Whispers flowed around her, causing her to collapse into a mess of tears. "Monster" they spoke clearly, the word a dagger to her heart.

"Stop." She moaned out as the whispers got louder and kept repeating the word. "Stop!" she cried out, flopping her wings over head head. However the words still got through. She covered her ears as tears flowed down her cheeks, the hatred for herself rising in her chest. However instead of fading away the whispers became a near deafening roar around her.

She awoke with a start, cowering. She looked around the room, finding it was dark with all the mana lanterns out. However despite her having night vision she found herself as blind in the dark as a human. From the dark room suddenly formed two glowing purple eyes.

"Hello dear." Came the sweet sounding voice of Emerald Lady, as the great green dragoness suddenly sprouted from the floorboards like a great tree. She grew over Infinity, and spread her massive wings wide, and gave her a predatory tooth filled smile.

Infinity nearly bounded away from the dragoness, but remembering Axton she held her footing. She clutched him tightly within her paws and bared her teeth. You WON'T hurt him. She suddenly felt the human stir, and push against her scales violently.

"Monster!" Axton shouted, his voice cracking and full of pain. "How could you?"

Infinity watched the room melt away like an oil canvas, until the only thing remained were the forms of Axton and the Emerald Lady, who sat there, watching, and waiting with an amused look on her snout. "I'm sorry!" Infinity wailed out, covering her snout with her wing. The tears once again coming like rivers from her eyes. "I did not have a choice Axton! I am sorry!" She felt the guilt submerge her like water, threatening to drown her.

"No get away from me!" Axton shoved her away as she tried to clutch him.

"Don't shed tears over him Infinity." The Emerald Lady sneered, "He's just a mortal.....and you are above them."

Infinity stopped crying as she spoke. That comment striking right into her heart. She jerked her head up towards the smug dragoness and bared her teeth again, letting out a snarl. "My mortal!" She growled.

"Hmmmph." The Emerald Lady chuckled deeply in her throat, starting to flow around her in the air like she was swimming through water. "He hates you and you still care for him?" She landed on the ground, draping her wing around Axton. "Don't worry little one." She looked down to Axton and gave him a smile a mother might give to her hatchling. "I will protect you from that.." She glared up at Infinity and narrowed her eyes. "Monster." The Emerald Lady backed a few steps away, and to Infinity's horror, so did Axton.

She whirled around, hissing. "No! He's my son! You can't take him from me!" She shrieked out, arching her back like an angered cat. She watched in terror as Axton glared at her with fear in his blue eyes, clutching the scaley forelimb of the Emerald Lady.

"See just like a monster...I would have never killed your mother Axton.... I would have saved her." She formed her snout into a snarl, "Nor would I have killed my father." She wrapped a wing around Axton, who smiled at her embrace.

"I didn't know!" she screamed, as tears welled up in her eyes as she collapsed onto the black void sobbing. "I didn't know." She repeated getting softer as the liquid rolled down her cheeks again. "I didn't know."

"You will lose everything Infinity." The Emerald Lady chuckled as she vanished with Axton in a plume of smoke. "And be left alone."

Infinity woke once more with a gasp. Tears were streaming down her snout as she let out a quiet choked sob. She clasped Axton, who was nestled up against her chest like a wyrmling pressing his face against her scales. She breathed in deep, trying to calm down by reminding herself it was just a dream. She coiled on Axton softly, hugging him for comfort. Just a dream....just a dream...Your still here...just a dream..

"Infinity?" Axton yawned, opening his eyes.

"Yes?" She asked quietly.

"Thanks for being here with me...I don't know what I would do without you."

"I don't know who I'd be without you either." Although I have a few guesses. Her mind went to the crazed image of her father, snarling and being just a mere beast. She shivered at the thought, and nuzzled the human to comfort herself.

"You are the kindest...sweetest...best dragon that has ever lived..I know it!" He smiled, relaxing onto her chest.

Infinity internally groaned at every compliment. I don't deserve your kind words Axton...not after..

"All we have now is each other...and I won't leave you...ever."

"Mmmhm." She nodded softly, and stretched out one of her paws. She wondered what was going to happen today. What could the lich possibly have in store after that horror he made me live through yesterday? She looked to the window, where light had already started to cast its rays into the room, bathing everything in a golden light. "I wonder what we'll be doing today." She yawned, curling her tongue.

Axton rose from her grip, walking slowly around the room while rubbing his eyes. Infinity saw him glance up at a thing he had called a clock from before. She followed his gaze to find that the little things called hands were on the ten position of it. She watched in silence as he went around gathering some things with a sigh, before suddenly dropping them to the floor with a thud. She fidgeted her claws as she saw him look to her, and she saw the pain from yesterday will itself to his face. "I...think I am taking the day off." He said finally after a moment of silence. He looked up the ceiling and let out a loud sigh that radiated around the room, running his hands through his hair.

"That is perfectly okay." She nodded in understanding.

"I don't feel like doing anything..." he groaned out. "My mind is telling me this is some sort of sick joke by the wizard...I mean him defend anything?" Axton laughed at the thought. "I mean he LET you kill your father." Axton crossed his arms, wrinkling his face as he gazed at the door to the room. "I bet he LET her get killed...that's why he didn't LET you into the town.

"Maybe." She murmured, looking away. She shuddered in disgust at herself. "I would not put it past him." She jerked her head up, and twitched her ears as there was a sudden loud knocking at the door.

"Should we pretend to not be here?" Axton whispered, his eyes full of worry.

Infinity shook her head and rose her voice. "Hello?" she called out.

"I WILL NOT KNOCK AGAIN." Came the voice of the wizard from the other side of the large door. Despite it, it was not muffled in the slightest.

She bolted passed Axton, who had let out a sigh and was heading for the door. She opened the door as carefully as she could, to find the wizard standing there. He let out a sigh of relief, and Infinity saw something in his eyes she had never seen before in her life. She saw fear in his eyes.

"Are you two ready?" He asked quickly, looking over his shoulder and back into the hallway. "Are you dressed Axton?"

Infinity looked back to the human, who was still making his way over. He had his shirt on, his pants, his boots, his belt. She turned back to the wizard and nodded. "He appears to be ready."

"Good...We..um...have a visitor." The wizard says, stumbling through his words. "And they wanted to see you....both of you." He gestured to them to follow with a wave of his hand. "Come now..it's best if we do not keep them waiting."

Infinity followed the wizard along with Axton, the human keeping pace right at her side in silence. She could feel the sorrow in the pit of his stomach as he hung his head. She felt a sinking feeling in her own with each placement of her paws on the floor. The wizard seemed to mumbling to himself as he led them down the vast corridors of the tower, until he brought them to the vast entryway that Infinity recognized as the entrance from the other day. She made a mental note to remember the way. The wizard stopped, and Infinity saw why.

Standing opposite of the wizard was an old looking woman wrapped in brown clothes. "Why hello there Nigel." She said with sweet voice that seemed to linger in the air. "You're still wearing that disguise then?" She looked to Axton with her kind looking brown eyes. "I suppose it is for the boy's benefit?" Her gaze then changed so that she was staring at Infinity. "Ah, I guess this is Infinity?"

Infinity shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. She had no idea who this woman was, but the smile she was giving her reminded her of the ones the lich had always given her. The fact that the lich was also frightened did not help things. Who was this person that they could inspire such fear in the one being that Infinity saw as almost all powerful?

The old woman strode over, silencing the wizard who had opened his mouth to say something. "See Night Rising. It is not a hard thing to procure a name." She turned back slightly towards the wizard. "Especially if you know which button to push...Nigel...you never told me you had a dragoness here."

Infinity watched the strong and horrid Lich shutter. This single moment should have filled with her with glee to watch him squirm in such a way, but instead it filled her with worry as the old woman focused on him. She than looked back towards Infinity, as if to inspect her like a prized animal. "You were hiding her from me...how bold of you."

"I wa....She was an experiment."

"A what!?" The woman whirled around, her words spraying spittle onto the floor.

"I made her stronger!"

Infinity blinked, and pulled Axton closer towards her. She felt the boy shiver and hug her limb tightly as the two others continued to squabble in loud anger filled voices.

The woman turned back towards Infinity, making three clicking noises with her tongue. "Well that remains to be seen." Her eyes that had been brown, were now a glowing royal purple. "Well Nigel...I suggest you prepare this apprentice of yours for the ritual we talked about...The one that would protect him from..." She held a hand to her chin. "What was it you said? A group of adventurers?"

The wizard named Nigel just nodded, looking towards Infinity and Axton.

"Perhaps it would help protect him from black dragons as well." the woman smiled. "Or other fire breathing monsters."

Infinity repressed a hiss and pulled Axton tighter against her. She wrapped a wing around the boy and just glared at the woman.

"You can of course leave Infinity in my tender care whilst you tend to the boy. We will be joining your shortly I imagine. I just want to get a good look at her." the woman than rolled her eyes at Infinity. "And dear?"

Infinity growled, swelling her chest.

"Work on your hiss, you could hardly startle a rabbit with the one you got."

Nigel called out to Axton to come over towards him, however Infinity felt the boy's grip tighten on her instead. He shivered and glared at the smiling woman. "Infinity...Who is this woman?"

"I think I know." She growled, remembering the two times the dragoness had appeared to her now.

"Oh...He knows your name!" The woman cooed. "Tsk Tsk." She moved towards them with a grin. "Now little whelp, If you would so kindly remove yourself from the dragoness you are clutching as if she were your mother. I will not have to forcibly remove you myself."

Infinity glared at the woman as Axton trembled against her limb. She felt him let out a great sigh and let go on his own. She looked to him, desperately wanting to do something against this dragoness. I love you Axton. She wanted to say to him, anything to comfort his beating heart. Stay strong. She watched Axton walk over to Nigel, who wrapped an arm around the boy, with his eyes still locked onto the woman.

"Good my boy. No need to aggravate her further." Nigel turned the two of them around, and lead Axton swiftly down the other direction. The boy glanced over once more at her, before returning his attention to the wizard.

"Now lead the way to that old chamber of mine..the one with the illusions." The lady spoke up. "You will see your little whelp again..don't be shivering in your scales over it dear."

Infinity nodded agitatedly, her whole body tense as she began leading the old woman she knew was the dragoness down the vast hallways. Her heart beat raced as she tried to push the woman from her thoughts. With each step it felt like it was taking forever to get to the room, she felt herself shiver as the woman stared at her.

"You seem so...scared." The woman chuckled as she walked. "Is it because you have not met a proper dragon before whelp? Or is because you have never met a queen?"

"Try being me." Infinity hissed through her teeth quietly.

"Why would I want to be like you? A pathetic little thief?"

Infinity snorted as she shook her head. Who did this dragon think she was? Infinity took a deep breath and swished her tail. She narrowed her eyes."That's what I thought."

The woman beside her began to change before her very eyes. Hands became great green paws. From her head sprouted onyx horns, from her body grew bright emerald scales. She grew and continued to grow until she was twice Infinity's height and then some. The dragoness chuckled as she brushed a golden chain around her scaled neck, refolding her wings against her back. "So now we meet face to face little whelp. No more illusions, dreams, or even disguises between us."

"Mmmhmm." Infinity replied sarcastically.

"How he ever..."The Emerald Lady rolled her eyes and suddenly grabbed her by the throat. "I suggest you refrain from those sarcastic noises of yours when around me...and be more polite in my presence."

"N-never had a chance to practice politeness." Infinity grinned, gasping for breath as the dragoness clutched tighter against her.

"Than perhaps it is time you learned!" The Lady snarled, showing off rows upon rows of her teeth.

Hah, I got under your scales. Infinity smiled pleasantly, radiating smugness. I bet you won't even kill me. You don't come this far, just to kill me when you meet me.

"Oh you think yourself so clever?" The Emerald lady raised a claw and touched it gently against Infinity's snout.

Infinity suddenly felt a warmth spread around her snout, like someone had wrapped it within a freshly dried blanket that had been lying in the sun all day. Other than that she did not notice anything much different, until she went to speak and found she had no mouth. What? I have no mouth! She breathed in a few panic filled breaths for a few seconds, eyes narrowing at the smug look now plastered on the ladies own snout. Oh I won't give you the satisfaction.

"Only polite dragons get to talk around me my dear."

Infinity rolled her eyes at her. I've been through worse...This is pretty tame.

"I know my dear. Now show me the rest of the way like a good little whelp." She smacked Infinity's snout with the same paw before throwing her from her grasp. "And you know...If I cannot hurt you...I can always take your treasure instead."

Infinity brought her to the room with a bounce in her step as she tried to push every scale on this big bully's body. She held her tail high and would occasionally swish it in front of her snout. She made sure to show Emerald Lady that she was overly cheerful in a sarcastic sort of way.

The dragoness snapped at her tail with her teeth, Infinity pulled it away with an internal giggle. "I suppose you don't mind your treasure being stolen then?" She chuckled, swaying her own tail back and forth. "Course you may not understand what I mean by treasure.."

Infinity arched her neck back and gave her an exaggerated nod. She would have smirked at the utter look of irritation painted on the smug green dragon's snout.

"I for instance horde mortals in my domain." The Emerald Lady smiled.

Infinity ignored her, there was a bounce in her step now. I suppose we all have our hobbies.

"Perhaps Axton would like to come live with me? Than we can have a chat about who killed his mother." Emerald Lady rose her head, as if looking to something Infinity could not see. "Ah the stories I will tell him...He will be like my own son..." She lowered her snout once more with an evil grin. "Do you think he will like that Infinity?"

The thought terrified her to her very core. She would never let Axton be taken away. Not by the lich, not by some random monster, and not by this bully of a dragoness. Infinity shrugged and gave Emerald Lady a look that said. "Try me." She stopped before the door to the illusion room, and before the Emerald Lady could speak the word to open it, the door cracked open to greet her. It was like the place recognized it's old master coming home after all these years. Infinity felt her muzzle grow warm, like it had been dipped in nice hot water. She felt her muzzle turn to normal so she parted it, letting out a few deep sighs of relief. She heard the Emerald Lady stride in after her, dragging her talons across the floor.

"So tell me about your time here."

Hah, that punishment lasted what? A few minutes before you wanted to talk to me. She sat down onto her haunches with a nice big confident smile. She was sure to show the Emerald Lady all of her teeth as she did so. She did however hold off the urge to laugh. Somehow she knew that would be crossing a line with this dragoness. She waited until Emerald Lady tossed her an angry glare with her eyes, sitting down opposite of her before sighing and speaking.

"Pain...Mostly pain."

"Good...Pain makes one strong if you survive." Infinity watched the Emerald Lady inspect her body with her eyes. She watched the purple glowing orbs linger on her many scars, each one making the dragoness before her curl her snout more and more. "If you were my daughter I would have killed him."

"I would have gotten to it eventually." Infinity shrugged, trying to sound more in charge than she was.

"You are strong willed and prideful."

"Sounds about right."

"Very good to see he could not beat that out of you." She grinned, "Now what has he neglected to teach you over the years? Since I assume he took little interest in you besides experiments."

That is true....Infinity nodded without a word.

"Then I will teach you." She held up one of talons and pretended to inspect it. "Even if I loath to do it." She flipped her paw over and began looking at the other side. "Now, have you explored this place?" She gestured out to the surrounding illusions with a swipe of her forepaw.

"Yes, a lot of it." Infinity looked around at the fields of grass. "I have a lot of time on my paws nowadays..."

"But have you tried controlling it?" The dragoness tilted her head to the side as she began to lower it with a soft chuckle in her throat. "Or have you gone simply wherever it was showing you?" She looked up past her to the fields surrounding them both as a soft breeze fluttered through her wing membranes. "You see...Nigel does not know fully about this place..It was made for dragons, dear."

"Well..." Infinity swished her tail. It had never occurred to her to try and control the things around her. She wrinkled her snout at her own ignorance on the subject. "I can dispel it...but I admit I had not tried to control anything." She waited for the Emerald ladies response, who seemed to just look at her with an amused look upon her snout as she held her paws wide to the sky above.

"Then watch what dragons can do to this place." She said, her voice suddenly getting louder. The illusions around her started to fade and shift, and then swirl around them both like a whirlwind of colors. However, despite their speed on which they circled the pair, no wind was present, no suction, and no sound. It spun and spun, and continued to do so until the scene around them shifted to be inside a darkened grey stone cave, lit by the soft light of a blazing fire at it's center.

Infinity's eyes widened as she looked around the room. Taking a deep breath, and finding the air smelled of soot, burning wood, and it sent a tingle through her spine. She knew this place. She did not know how, but this place she knew. She gazed into the cackling orange-red fire to find a small black egg placed firmly within it. The fire licking around the edges, but she knew not to cook it, but to provide a blanket of warmth for the growing being inside. A dragon.

Infinity tore her gaze from the egg to see that the cavern was not completely empty. It also had piles of golden coins that gleamed in the flickering fire. There were paintings, cups of metal, statues, Infinity chuckled as she saw a giant white harp made of wood. From the treasure she saw a large bed made of soft furs, large enough to fit two dragons even bigger than herself.

"Shame I had to give this place up." Emerald Lady snorted, irritation ever present in her voice. "It was such a wonderful place to have."

Infinity turned her snout towards the dragoness as a tingling sensation ran through her body, the itch that once again she knew this place. "Where is this place?" She asked, dreading the answer she was going to get.

"Infinity." The dragoness said softly, her stern face cracking into one of genuine concern. She looked to Infinity with the eyes that a caring mother might giver her own hatchling. The glow in her eyes even faded away until just the royal purple irises stared at her, not as the powerful queen dragon she proclaimed herself to be, but as a dragoness who had children of her very own. "Listen to me and learn well...I will give you two things you have always wanted." She held up a paw to cut Infinity off as she opened her snout. "No, I cannot make Nigel free you."

Infinity gulped, disappointment growing in her hide. She tried to fight drooping her wings in front of this dragoness. The question burning inside her mind why she could not be freed. Nigel even seemed to be scared of her. She just nodded quickly, watching her carefully. Knowledge was always valuable, even if she did not trust this dragoness completely.

"It is the same reason I can not kill you." The Emerald Lady snarled, staring right into her eyes. "No matter how much disrespect you toss in my direction." She backed her head away and held it high, once again looking far off to something Infinity could not see. "For if I freed you....things...." Emerald Lady frowned, "Change." She waited for a small moment of silence before snapping her face back towards Infinity, her eyes once again starting to glow.

"Now whelp..I do what needs to be done." She stood up onto all fours, and started to stride around Infinity, her tail swaying behind her. "You need me here...regardless...if you." The dragoness wrinkled her snout, "Like me." She stopped suddenly and flicked her tail, as if studying her reaction.

I knew it. Infinity nodded restraining another smirk that threatened to emerge on her snout.

"So let's see what I mean by gift." The Emerald Lady held up a paw, gesturing to Infinity for a moment, small tendrils of blue magic flowing off her scales to condense and swirl around the green paws. They then flew off from the Emerald Lady and sailed across the air, and out the illusionary exit to the caves. There was a soft shine of light from around the exit's, and then there was the sound of talons clicking against stone.

From the entrance strolled a red dragon, just like the one Infinity had killed. In fact he looked exactly like the one she had killed. Her eyes widened as he had the same scales, the same under scales...and the same eyes. She felt ice grip her heart as she knew who she was looking at right now. This was her father.

The red dragon strode right past her, causing Infinity to almost call out to him. He however ignored her and laid himself down around the fire, his green eyes falling onto the egg within the fire. She saw in his eyes the fondness that she knew belonged to a loving father. Like he was looking at the greatest thing his eyes had ever laid eyes upon, and he then let out a small pleasured sigh.

"Sorry for keeping you my dear." The dragon whispered, lowering his snout to mere inches of the fire. The flames licking his crimson scales but not seeming to burn him in the slightest. He held up a paw and gently caressed the egg with the soft pads underneath of them. "Your mother has been busy flying around." He chuckled. "She wants everything to be just perfect when you hatch." The red dragon than threw his head back and seemed to laugh at a joke that did not happen. "No your mother is not crazy little one!" He lowered his snout once again with a smile. "Don't say that Infinity, or your mother will bite my tail!" He thumped his own tail against the stone in laugher. It was so cheerful and infectious that Infinity found herself chuckling with him, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I cannot wait to see your little snout." The red dragon continued, placing a talon softly onto the egg's shell, like he was meaning to place it on her snout. "And boop that cute snout of yours so hard."

Infinity smiled, gazing at the father she could not remember, trying to hide her sadness from the Emerald Lady but failing. Her heart broke as tears started to slip from her eyes and drift down her scaled cheeks. She looked up through blurry eyes to see that now a black dragon had emerged from the cave entrance. Her scales were just like hers, all shining in the cave light. Her underscores a deep grey, and her starry wings so beautiful.

The black dragoness looked around the cave with her bright amber eyes. Infinity almost sobbed and broke down when she locked eyes with her, then changed her gaze to the egg of her instead. "Have you told Infinity how much I love her whilst I was away?" She strode over to the red dragon, who gave her a pleased croon at her arrival.

"Oh yes dear..every single second that you were away." He rose his head and nuzzled the black dragon around the neck as she slide right next to him, pressing her scales tightly against him, and finally intertwining her tail around his. She rose her snout and pressed it right up against the red dragon, leaning her weight against him as they both looked to the egg with pleased smiles. "I can't wait.." She smiled, closing her eyes."

The red dragon pressed against her with his snout. "I cannot either."

The scene than faded away until nothing remained but Emerald Lady and Infinity across from one another. Infinity looked back and swallowed a stifled cry of sorrow. She wiped the streaming tears from her snout, trying to hide them from the Emerald Lady. No need to see her weakness after all.

"Now what is your attachment to the boy? You seem rather....fond of him."

"Given that I want to be a mother, and he is small and cute." She wiped the last tears from her eyes, and shrugged. Like it was her idea to like a mortal.

"Interesting....and how far would you go to protect said mortal?" The Emerald Lady chuckled deep in her throat as she started to pace around her again.

Infinity wrinkled her snout, reminding herself of what the lich had said to her. She rose her snout to reveal her teeth. "Pretty sure you're a mother...So take a wild guess." I already proved I would. She made to stare straight into the Emerald Ladies eyes, unflinching, and giving her no doubt what she would do.

"Then show me!" The Emerald Lady suddenly lashed out with one of her onyx talons, going right for Infinity's throat.

Infinity took a step back, watching the talon easily miss where she had been moments before. "I don't really want to get any more scars at the moment, but thanks." She went to dodge another one the Emerald Lady through her way, but she was not fast enough this time. This one smacked her across the side and sent her tumbling to the ground with a painful thump.

"I was not asking you." Emerald Lady snarled, her eyes narrowing, her own teeth bared.

"Huh." Infinity began to roll away from her. "Not very nice of you is it?"

"Face me like a dragon!"

Infinity felt claws grab her, and throw her again to the ground. Her lungs lost her breath as the emerald dragon pressed her paws into her chest hard. "I am ...afraid... I'm not... proper." She coughed, eyes glinting.

"Graaaaah!" Emerald Lady struck down with her other claw intending to spill blood, but the dragoness squirmed away out of her grip. Emerald Lady's claws only striking stone.

"Last time I fought a dragon that was twice my size, he ended up dead...so..." She dodged away from another strong lunge from the Emerald Lady.

"He was insane....I am not...." Emerald Lady lashed out again, but Infinity backed away from it. "And he was certainly not me dear."

"Not at all like you. He was quite nice, knew my name and everything." She shook herself, and let smoke start to billow out of her snout as she prepared to douse the green dragon in flames.

"Yes..and you want that lich dead right? Than ATTACK me!" Emerald Lady thrashed her tail against Infinity, throwing her to the ground with a grunt of pain.

"You seem to have irritated me." Infinity latched onto the emerald dragon's tail, sinking her teeth in deep as she called on her fire glands. In an explosion of blue, fire wrapped the Lady's tail and made her hiss in pain as it burned.

"Good, you actually have some fight in you." The dragoness snarled, pushing Infinity with one great shove. Her teeth scraping against her hide and drawing blood. But Infinity held onto the tail a she stood up. Her eyes narrowed as she shook the dragonesses' tail like a dog that had found it's new favorite toy.

Emerald Lady snarled and pounded her paw against the ground in one forceful smack.

Infinity blinked her eyes to find the Emerald Lady had vanished without a trace, somehow escaping her teeth. She looked up to see that the dragoness was hovering in the air, gesturing to Infinity's paws. She looked down to find three small red orbs sitting there, that seemed to be made out of fire.

Ahhh hell.

The orbs exploded in a flash of light as she tried to backwing away. She managed to avoid most of the flames, but still felt some burn her scales. She held out her paws to summon lightning to them, it danced around her limbs before she tossed it towards the green dragon. "I hate fighting." She complained. She watched the lighting course the air towards the green dragon, but before it could collide with her scales it instead started to wrap her paws.

Like water it flowed around Emerald lady, gracefully dancing around her paws. Then with a mere flick of her talons the lightning flew right back at Infinity.

Infinity held up her paw, catching it like the Emerald Lady had done, her eyes widening as she smiled. She threw it back with a cackle. "Hey, we are playing catch!" The lighting this time however missed the Emerald Lady as she swerved out of the way and dover towards Infinity, her eyes filled with anger.

"Enough then." Without another sound the dragoness vanishes, only for Infinity to feel claws wrap around her neck from behind.

"Graaaah." Infinity gasped and wriggled as she was lifted right into the air, and then slammed hard against the ground. She trashed and turned until she was looking the green dragoness right in snout once more. She snarled up at her, defiance shining in her eyes.

"Enough before I cut your neck off...With fire so they will not regrow!"

Infinity continued her to struggle feebly, praying the lady would actually make good on her promise. Although...would they regrow with fire? She did not know. "Yeah I figured." She snarled back, blowing a ball of fire into the Emerald Ladies face. However the dragoness takes the fire right to the snout and appears to be unfazed as Infinity felt her grip tighten, and her breaths become hard.

"Now...Yield!"

"Why? You wanted a fight!"

"Oh I see..Is it only little Liches you cower for?'

"You haven't tortured me yet, I'm afraid."

"Hmmph." The Emerald Lady snorted, "How about I just take Axton and leave you here? Is that enough torture for you?"

Infinity growled in the back of her throat, the glint back in her eyes. "Do it and prepare for my retribution."

The Emerald Lady smiled, releasing her from her crushing grip.

Infinity stood up, gasping for breath and shaking herself off. Why did she let me go?

Emerald lady spun around, jabbing a talon right into Infinities chest. "You get stronger than this."

"Will do." Infinity nodded, her eyes narrowed.

"Good." The dragoness sneered. "Because one day you will steal from me something precious." She looked up once again. "Something so precious...and you best be worthy of that treasure." She lowered her snout to stare right into Infinities eyes. "Or I will kill you."

She can see the future? Infinity snorted dismissively. "Seer right? I figured."

Emerald Lady growled in irritation at her, thumping her tail on the ground. "Now shut your snout and hold out your paw."

Infinity did as she was requested. She once again made sure to show the Emerald Lady that she was smirking at her annoyance. She watched the dragoness with a sigh close her paw and roll her eyes. When she opened the paw she held a long thin black bracelet of string. "Here...Take this." She placed the string bracelet carefully into Infinity's outstretched paw.

It looks like junk! Infinity rose it to her nostrils and gave a deep sniff. It certainly smelled like normal string. Why give me just a simple thing of string? Although in her gut she knew it had to be something more. There was no way this dragoness would go through all this, just to give her a piece of simple string.

"You will need it when the time comes."

Infinity slipped the bracelet around her forepaw. It shockingly fit snugly around her. Like it was made especially for me. "Mmkay."

Emerald lady sighed again, rolling her eyes. "It is for when you and Axton go....I am helping you little whelp." She hissed.

"Oh.." Infinity drooped her ears. Shit...stupid..stupid..

"There will be a moment, and you simple need to recite the key phrase protect. You will know when the time is right." The Emerald lady then held up a talon and put it very closer to Infinities snout, almost close enough to touch. "However remember, everything is for a reason.." The dragoness' voice then lowered, "Everything." She then shook her head, rose to all fours and began to stride carefully away from Infinity, her tail swaying behind her. "Can you read?" She arched her head back to look at her like a hatchling. "Can you write?"

Infinity gave her a tentative nod. "I know a few words and phrases. Axton is teaching me."

"Then that is where we shall start little one." She replied, her tone starting to seethe with anger. "I will be hurting this lich.." She mumbled, thrashing her tail against the floor. "Although I imagine you would like that part."

Infinity nodded, imagining the lich getting slashed into pieces by the strong dragoness before her. "I might like it a little bit." She smiled. She watched the Emerald Lady's face drop again, the eyes fade, and she looked less imposing than she did a moment before.

"I am sorry Infinity...and that is something you will not be hearing from me often." She held her head up high. "That I was not aware of your presence..It was not until I looked into a certain future that I saw you....had I done this earlier...You would not have been here so long."

"That's fine." Infinity twitched her tail. "No one is perfect. Nor is life."

"Yes, but I try to make things better for all dragon kind....and here you are...slipped right through the cracks." She strode over and to Infinity's genuine shock, nuzzled her like a mother might.

Infinity almost backed away as her eyes widened in shock. She felt herself actually leaning into the dragoness tender embrace. It almost felt like it was her mother, completely with the love she told herself would have been there.

"There will be suffering ahead Infinity." Emerald Lady said softly, grabbing her by the snout gently. "And don't ask me to change it."

"When is there not?" she replied, ice starting to form around her heart as she dreaded to think about what this suffering could actually be.

"I can at least make your stay with the Lich .......more comfortable." Emerald Lady ran a claw along her scales, causing Infinity to shiver at her pleasant touch. "If he lays a hand on you...or casts a spell at you..I will flay him." She bared her teeth. "Find his phylactery and kill him...and I will tell him of this. She moved her snout close so they were looking right into each other's eyes. "He will not bother you again while in this tower."

"Thank you." Infinity whispered softly.

"Nice pearls...They suit you."

"Thanks." Infinity smiled, running a paw along the smooth surface.

"Now lets spend the rest of the day learning to read and write..before you think my scales have gone soft on you." She strode away, her eyes glowing once more. "I expect only the best from you my little thief.

Infinity rolled her eyes. "Right."