FSE

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Chapter 13

Infinity spent the rest of the day with the Emerald Lady. The green dragoness would go over how to read write and write in the language of dragons, called draconic. Infinity would roll her eyes as her teacher would like to stop, puff out her chest and prattle away about how things were and generally implying she was better in everyway. However despite Infinity throwing her looks of annoyance, rolling her eyes, or otherwise being disrespectful, the dragoness did not strike her again. In fact when she did talk to Infinity it seemed like she was to Infinities surprise nice. She was going on and on about her sons, although Infinity found it mighty curious that she had not mentioned them by name, not even once. She was about to ask their names when Nigel strode over, his robes flowing as he came to a stop.

"Pardon my interruption." The lich said. Infinity's eyes widened as the creature that had once filled her with despair, terror, and hate now was acting so timid. The Emerald Lady must have seen the surprise on her snout, as she let out a deep chuckle from her throat, ignoring the lich for the moment.

"You may speak to him however you wish Infinity."

Infinity just nodded. She had imagined this over all these years. Finally able to tell the lich exactly what she thought of him, and not fear getting hurt. But here she was, finally with the opportunity laid bare at her paws, and all she could do was continue to nod in silence. She was surprised she found herself thinking there was nothing to say to him that he already did not know.

"Really dear?" The Emerald Lady asked, raising an eye. "No words to be said to your captor? Even after he made you.....Fine." She finished with a snarl. "Nigel..I would like you to be aware." She lowered her snout so that it was sitting right of the liches face. "While Infinity remains within this tower she is not to be harmed. Nor is there a spell that will be cast upon her." Emerald Lady bared her teeth to the lich who swallowed. "Or I will find your precious little phylactery and smash it into a thousand pieces...Do you understand?"

Infinity felt a small glimmer of warmth as she watched her captor nod nervously eyeing the dragoness's teeth.

"We are ready for the ritual...will you be attending?"

"No." Emerald lady curled her neck to look at Infinity. Her snout softened as her eyes filled with a hint of pity. "This next task is for Infinity alone, I think."

Ritual? Her mind suddenly raised flags of alarm. She thought back to when the Emerald Lady had first entered and Axton had been taken away by the lich. I thought he was just going to do it! She felt suspicion fill her limbs as she tried to imagine what horrible thing this was going to be. But Emerald Lady said it was to shield Axton from being hurt. She took a deep breath, praying that it would not be too bad. After all it was going to help. Her eyes widened as The Emerald Lady suddenly moved in, flaring her wings and creating a makeshift wall with them from Nigel, and she spoke in a low soft voice.

"Infinity...This has to happen..."

Infinity nodded, steeling herself, and burying the worry that was ever present in her bones. "What is this ritual that he will be performing?"

"It may not make sense now." Emerald Lady paused, seemingly ignoring her question. "But one day you will thank me for this with tears in your eyes....Do you understand?"

Infinity did not really understand. It was all vagueness that she was just expected to trust. However as she looked into the Emerald Lady's purple eyes she found herself believing. She saw the fondness in her eyes once again. Not as the great intimidating dragoness, but as one mother to another. "Y-Yes." Her voice found its way out.

"Good...Now be strong.." Emerald Lady spun around, and folded her wings against her back. Gesturing to Nigel with a wave of her forepaw. "I expect you to return Infinity.!" The green dragoness started to strut away, swishing her tail back and forth. "I will be training her for the next four weeks!" She arched her head with a grin.

Infinity padded after the lich she now knew was called Nigel. How such a thing could have such a non terrifying name was beyond her, but she shrugged and swished her tail. "Alright." she said, wrinkling her muzzle as he offered her no reply and simply walked in silence. She committed that to memory, wondering how he was going to treat her now. Would he do as the Emerald Lady had asked? She however no longer felt the fear that used to strike her as she gazed at him. There wasn't even a trace of it lurking in the marrow of her bones, only cautiousness remained as she stared at him.

I hope Axton is okay.

She kept her head up, and padded after the lich. If he was not going to talk to her than neither would she speak to him. She gave a small snort as she made that little promise.

Although I never liked talking to you anyway.

She was led through the doors to the rest of the tower, up winding stairs, through stone hallways. Until with a brief touch of his hand on the stone, a certain section of wall large enough for her to walk through sprung up from the floor with a loud scrape. She dipped her head to look inside and spy the same test room that she had grown so familiar with all these years. She repressed a shudder as she looked to the now pristine looking stone walls and floor. She would have thought more on this if not for Axton drawing her attention as she took a tentative step into the room.

She looked to Axton, worry starting to build in her chest as she looked at the crosslegged sitting boy, and the silver cart that was next to him. Placed on the cart was a single object, a glass vial with a black liquid that seemed to be bubbling within the glass.

"This next part may seem a tad familiar to both of you." The lich said suddenly, Infinity narrowed her eyes as a smile returned to his face.

"Ah yes." She replied, looking back to Axton. Mentally telling him it was going to be safe. She was here after all.

"Now...Axton here will have to drink that black potion over there." The lich held out a hand and gestured to the glass vial. "We already did the first stage of ritual and prepared his body for the liquid." The lich clasped his hands together as he strode around Axton, looking at Infinity right in her eyes. It was like he was trying to once again intimidate her. "The potion will only work however when the drinker has wounds inflicted upon them. With each wound they must drink a little more." The lich gestured to the glass again. " It cannot be drank all at once, or Axton here will surely die...Now the last drop is something special...The drinker must be ever so close to death when they drink it."

NO. Infinity glared at him, hatred burning so intense within her. It appeared if he could not hurt Infinity he was instead going to take it out on Axton . Not on my watch you vile horrid pile of-. She stopped mid thought to remember Emerald Ladies words. She stood there, un-moving as the lich looked amused by her apparent anger.

"Now I of course would like to inflict the wounds onto him. It would be my place as his master to carry out the deed."

Infinity just let out a breath between her teeth. She was fighting every instinct right now to not try and rip the lich in two. She knew it would be futile but oh it would make her feel so good right now.

"Although I admit I would not be gentile in the slightest...Considering I lost my control over Infinity with the arrival of our....Guest." He stopped looking from Axton to Infinity. "I figured you would rather be the one to inflict harm onto your son. His loving dragon, who is like his mother now. How fitting since she recently killed his."

Axton looked to Infinity in shock without a word. His eyes widened.

Infinity felt her face twitch, a spasm of emotion, as everything else in her mind went suddenly blank.

"Now this of course should not take too long." The lich strolled out with a chuckle."I will leave you to do the deed Infinity...It's what you're good at after all." With his final words the door slammed shut behind him, making Infinity's ears twitch.

"H-He.....w-was lying right?" Axton stuttered slowly, his voice low. His eyes already starting to mist as he stared into Infinity's own. "C-Cause thatss what he does right? He lies!"

"I...Didn't know." Infinity said softly, lowering her head. She could feel the shame filling her right now, almost from her tail all the way to her snout.

'No..No..No.." Axton shook his head, burying it into his hands.

"I was scared of what would happen if he discovered our secret! I was afraid of what would happen to you!" She pleaded out, her own eyes misting. Please listen...please understand. "Axton..I'm sorry!" She hung her head, nearly collapsing beside the boy.

She waited with her head hung. She felt lower than anything right now. She fought off a sob as her snout quivered,and her scales shivered. "I..didn't know...I didn't know...I would never..Axton.." She mumbled through tears.

"I know." She heard him say, before she felt him wrap his arms around her head. She could hear his cries and knew tears were already coming to his face. She wrapped him up within her forepaws pulling him close as she draped her head over him.

"I'm so sorry. He said they were going to hurt you...and I got angry...really..really angry..He played me..he used my care for you against me.." She felt her heart swell as the human hugged her tighter than before. Despite what the lich had wanted from this outcome. Her son was stronger..he knew who the real monster was..and who the vicims were.

"I...know it's not your fault." He said through his sobs and cries. Anything else he mumbled was unintelligible to her.

"Let's get this experiment over with." She glared at the black vial resting on the cart. "It will be the last experiment I put up with. Then...there will be no more." She moved one of her paws to ruffle his hair lightly.

"No more?"

"No more."

"I love you Infinity." Axton pressed his cheek against her chest.

"I love you too son."

"Son?" Axton suddenly looked up at her, tears still in his eyes.

Infinity nodded. "It may be a tad strange...considering." She growled back at the door, imagining she could see the lich. Only he could have turned something like this into a creepy affair. "But I would like to take up the mantle of your mother....If you would let me."

Axton did not reply and just hugged her tighter, once again smooshing his face up against her. "I think she would have liked you."

"I wish I could have met her...and not had the lich involved." Infinity said softly, clutching the human tightly as he continued to shiver in her embrace. "Now...let's get this last thing over with...one final experiment."

"The part were you hurt me.." Axton glared at the door, looking awfully like her when she wrinkled her muzzle in anger. "He's evil."

"Oh." She said, forgetting that she had to perform that particular action.

"If he thinks that would break us..." She heard Axton gulp.

"He's wrong." they said at the same time.

That's my brave son...You deserved to have been born a dragon. If only to match your heart. She smiled at him, swishing her tail on the floor.

"Infinity?" Axton asked.

"Yes?" She replied, nosing him slightly with her snout.

"I..forgive you for earlier..the lying....and what he's making you do....You're not the monster no matter how many times he says it..No matter what HE made you do...No matter who HE made you kill." Axton pointed to the stone door. "The only monster in this tower is standing outside this door."

Infinity swallowed and nodded as her heart starting to ache, not from pain but from the warmth and comfort that he had just brought her. She felt her chest grow warm as she looked the boy over. She went over his body with her eyes from head to foot. Wondering how she could still hurt Axton, but inflict the smallest amount of pain to him. The thought she was going to do this troubled her mind. She recoiled at the very idea. This was her Axton. This was her son. And she never wanted to hurt him.But it has to be done as the Emerald Lady had said...and It might as well be me....So that I may be here for him.

"Well...it has to be a wound.." Axton muttered pointing to the hallway. "Nigel said so." She watched him shiver. "With the last drop requiring me to be near death." he frowned. "You could always make slices with your claws."

"Axton..." She nuzzled him, fighting off the shivers her own body was doing right now. "My teeth would hurt less....I don't want to do this."

"I know." He said softly, caressing her head into a hug. "At least his last apprentice and I will have something in common." He chuckled.

Infinity put her snout inches from his face and narrowed her eyes.

"Okay that was not funny." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry...I also want to say I trust you."

Infinity closed her eyes, trying to not think about what she was going to do. She took a deep breath and let it out in one great sigh. She heard Axton grab the potion of the cart with a slight clink. She opened her eyes, twitching her ears, as she watched him walk nervously over to her. "It's going to be okay Axton." She said to him softly, trying to reassure herself at the same time.

"It's probably better if you hold it...I might drop it.." He mumbled, holding out the glass vial to her. Infinity curled her tail around the end of it, holding it in the air. She moved her head with her maw wide open to Axton. She saw him wince for the coming pain.

"I love you." He quickly added softly closing his eyes, and forming his hands into fists.

Infinity grabbed him tenderly with her paws, and held him steady as she lowered her maw further. Little droplets of saliva dripping down onto his clothes. I'm sorry Axton. She quickly thought before biting down onto his shoulder. She felt her teeth pierce his flesh quickly as he let out a cry of pain. It pierced her heart as he shuttered in her grip, but she held on. This was the last horrible hurdle that the had to make it over. She felt him clench her head tightly as she held him there. She retracted her snout, trying to not feel too worried about the blood she had drawn. Dark crimson now stained the boys clothes. Out of instinct she began to lick at his wounds. Lapping up the salty red ooze that was leaking out of him.Just be ok...just be ok...just be ok.

"He...said...to...wound and drink." Axton gasped, holding out his hands for the potion. Infinity brought it over towards him, still not letting Axton go. The boy drank one fourth of the black liquid, she watched his brow wrinkle, than he let the glass fall away from his mouth with a. "Gaaaaaaah!" Axton spit, and coughed. "It tastes terrible!.It's so...gross...like little bugs crawling down my throat!....Graaaaaaah."m She felt him clench her head even tighter as he closed his eyes again...

"Please continue."

Infinity felt his heart beat faster as anxiety run it's way through his body. She hesitated for a moment as she stopped right before biting him again on the other shoulder.

"Infinity...I know I'm scared..b-but please..." He sputtered.."Keep going..I can take it!"

Brave Axton...I'm sorry. She bit down again on his shoulder, causing the boy to clench his teeth as he yelled. She felt him clench down on her head with a vice grip, as he coughed and spit up blood. Spraying her black scales with small droplets of bright red. She felt his whole body twitch within her grasp, and he forced himself to drink more of the potion.

"Infinity...I..don't think I...can.." He sputtered, black liquid oozing out of the corners of his mouth.. "It's so gross.."

"Drink it Axton!" She hissed, her voice cracking. If the human would be unable to drink it, she was going to force him to. There was no way she was losing Axton now. Not after all they had been through.

"What if he lied?" Axton took a drink of the potion in one more swig, finally finishing off another fourth of the potion.

The thought struck her to the core. What if Axton was right? This was one last trick to hurt me. Not by doing any damage to me, but having me KILL my son. She shook her head, and remembering the Emerald Lady. She had to trust her right now, because the alternative was too terrifying to think about. "We have to trust him one last time." She went to lick the wounds she had just inflicted. It calmed her slightly, as she cleaned the bloodied form of the human.

"One more..time.." Axton gasped weakly. He rose his head to gaze into her eyes with his fierce blue ones. How brave he looked despite the blood soaking his tattered shirt now. "Well..if he did lie..and this is one last trick.....I was glad I met you Infinity." The human rose his hand to clutch at his chest, pulling it away to look at the crimson paint his hand now was coated in. Infinity felt terror strike it's way into his chest. "One..last hurdle." he muttered softly.

"Me too Axton." She licked him several more times. "But you are not dying." She bit him one last time on the side of his body. She felt tears fill her eyes, as he let out another pained scream. Grabbing her head and gasping soon after. When she pulled away she felt his body shiver, and he tried to raise his hands for the potion, but they weakly fell to his side.

Infinity grabbed the potion with her right forepaw, and cradled his head as she force fed him the potion. "You have to drink it Axton...You are going to live...I won't let you die." She watched as the last bits of the potion passed through his lips, the vial fell from his mouth with a little gasp. She dropped the glass letting it shatter as she pulled the bloodief mess of human towards her, smearing her scales with his life giving liquid. She could feel the terror that was filling him soon start to fade. She forced herself to look away from the bloodied form of her human now clutching her weakly.

"Don't fall asleep now...No matter how tired you are." She muttered to him, twitching her tail.

She saw his eyelids droop, then close. His body then went limp in her paws. Ice gripped her heart, as it skipped a few beats. "Hey." She nudged him with her snout, panic soon starting to rise in her. "You have to stay awake!...Axton!" She screamed out as she felt his body did not budge, and his chest had stopped rising and falling.

"No..you'll be okay." She sobbed, pushing her snout into his chest. "You have to be okay...be okay...be okay." She nudged, licked, and nuzzled the human. Axton had to be okay, she did not know what she would do if he were not. "Wake up Axton...you can't leave me." She licked his little head. "Please...Please.." She nudged him again, "Wake up..you have to stay here.....I love you son..you can-"

Axton's eyes shot open as he let out a loud intake of air. "AAHHHHHHHHHH" he bellowed in a scream from his lungs as she grabbed him tighter than she had ever done so before.

Infinity looked to see that the pierces in his flesh from her bites were starting to heal themselves. She thumped her tail against the ground several times as tears flowed down her face. She offered her thanks to whoever was watching over them, as she draped her head over his back.

"You scared me so bad."She whispered, cradling him back and forth in her paws. She licked him several times on the back of his head as she felt her heart start to calm down.

"I...did what now? Axton asked grabbing her head as he groaned. "Ugh. I hurt all over."

"You stopped breathing." She replied, continuing with her motherly licks now moving onto the front of the non resisting human's face.

'I did?" He asked softly, grabbing her snout and then pressing his forehead to it. "I guess we are even then." he laughed, "For when I was made to hurt you."

"Yea.."She mumbled, stopping her licking to refold her wings against her back.

"Hey!" He poked her snout with his finger. "No more tests you said! By the gods!...No more tests!'

"No more tests." Infinity repeated with a smile, hugging Axton tighter.

"So...why call me your son?" Axton asked after several more minutes of tender dragon hugs. "You're not that old you told me."

"Because you are my son now." She spoke sternly.

"I thought moms were supposed to be you know...old."

"Mom's are not old! I am certain I could have had wrymlings years ago. If those books you read are any indication!" She laughed. She stopped when she noticed Axton had lowered his head and was not looking at her. She grabbed his chin with her paw, making him look to her. "Hey..look at me...what's the matter?" Although in the deepest part of her mind she could guess.

"I'm...not calling you mom...if that's okay." he said softly.

"That's fine." She replied reassuringly. She nearly moved her head away as he latched onto her snout tightly

"B-but I won't live as long as you!....Sorry..forget I said that." Axton hugged her tighter instead as he clamped his mouth shut. "Save bad thoughts for another day........wait." He suddenly said, releasing her head and looking to her with a smile.

"Does this mean when I get dates I have to bring them home to meet you?...For approval?"

"Yes." she could not help but giggle at the thought. She imagined some mortal stuttering as Axton introduced her to them.

"Wonderful." Axton laughed, rolling his eyes. "But we get to go flying." He thrust a finger towards her snout.

"Of course." She nodded.

"Everyday."

"If you're not sick."

"We'll...yea. I imagine having a cold while dragon flying would really sour the feeling." He held up a hand to touch her cheek as he laughed. "We're going to be the weirdest family ever."

"But of course." she replied, trying to look straight faced to the amused human. She sighed as Axton pressed his face into her scales, and let loose a pleased sound of his own. "I however have to bring my potential mates home to you as well."

"Oh..I'm sure the boy dragon's are going to love that." Axton chuckled. "Although I bet you would smack them if they disapproved of me.

"Of course." She snickered, moving a paw to ruffle the back of his head.

Axton wiggled free from her grasp, trying to stand and placing a hand on her. She watched how his legs wobbled, and wiggled, until he went to collapse and she caught him.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Well..it looks like I might be too weak to walk..Hey!"

Infinity walked on her hind legs slightly as she picked Axton up gently.

"I am not some baby that needs to be-" Axton clamped his mouth shut as she just smiled at him. "Fine." He crossed his arms with a smirk. "You may carry me then."

"I was not asking Axton." She chuckled, carrying him over towards the stone door. It opened for her just as she stood before it, to reveal the devilish grin of Nigel. Infinity felt a tremor of pride sweep through her as she watched that grin fade away into a scowl.

"Well you certainly took your time." Nigel sneered, "I was about to come check up on you and made sure you did the ritual at all."

"Yes...well Night Rising here and I decided to help her practice to be human." Axton grinned.

"Yes.." Infinity nodded straight faced once again, trying to fight off laughter. "I think I am rather good at this human thing. I thought it might be fun."

"Ugh." Nigel's eyes filled with irritation as he just stared at them. "Wonderful... I am so glad our ladies presence has you two so rebellious."

"Our lady?" Axton whispered.

Nigel just scowled and ignored him. "You two may have the rest of the day off per the Emerald Ladies request...It would seem she is staying with us for the month."

Infinity could not help but grin at that. The amount of disdain he had said that with was music to her very ears.

"I hope you two are happy while she is here." He smiled, clasping his hands together. "Because she won't be with us forever." Nigel then spun around, and left Infinity and Axton just standing there in the hallway.

Infinity just rolled her eyes and carried Axton back towards their room. She was amazed at her ability to know where to go in the tower. When a short few months ago all she knew was the layout of her enclosure. She laughed at Nigel's little threat. Did he think she would not pass on that little outburst of his to the Emerald Lady? She imagined the dragoness would have some choice words with the bag of bones. Infinity sighed. It is nice having her around...Even if she is a total mystery.

"So...who is this Emerald Lady..and why does she have Nigel so scared?"

"She is a very powerful dragoness. She was the old woman when we met her this morning." Infinity explained as she rounded the last corner before their room. "She can see the future and wants to train me in dragon things.

"I may have to thank her than." Axton laughed weakly. "Man.. I am lucky to have you Infinity, although if you keep carrying me like this I might end up spoiled."

"Don't get entirely used to it." She ruffled his head with her snout after she had opened the door, passed through it, and closed it behind her with hardly a sound. She carried Axton to their bed and laid him down gently upon it.

"Ahhhhh." The human sighed, throwing his arms behind his head. "I can't wait to be out of this place...Anywhere will be better than here!"

'Don't say that!" Infinity hissed, climbing onto the bed. "Or we will end up somewhere worse!"

Axton sighed and stayed silent for a few minutes. His eyes just staring at the ceiling as he continued to breath softly. "Infinity...Do you think dragons and mortals go to the same afterlife?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Infinity laid down around him.

"Well...maybe our parents are together up there then. Looking down on us..Maybe my mom is with yours...and she is not mad."

Infinity shifted her weight uncomfortably. She knew Axton was being incredibly understanding, but she still felt terrible.

"Sorry." Axton shifted, and embraced one of her paws with his hands. "I am sorry to bring it up. I just...wanted to make us feel better."

"You should sleep." She nosed him with her snout, causing him to giggle.

"Can....You..believe his name is nigel?" He laughed, clutching her snout.

She retracted her head with a grin, letting his fingers fall from her. "Now go to sleep..you had a long and rough day."

"What if I don't want to." Axton crossed his arms and gave her a smile.

"Than I will have to snuggle you until you do!"

"Oooohhhhh nooo." Axton held up his hands. His voice filled with sarcasm.

Infinity just laughed at his silly antics.

"Than I refuse to sleep."

Infinity wrapped the playful human in a tight snuggle, closing her eyes as she laid her snout softly close to him. She felt him press himself against her snout as he let out a sigh. So she draped her wing over them both like a blanket.

"Oh no...the dragon has me snuggled." Axton said in a yawn. "What...will...I...do.."

Infinity let out a sigh a she felt him fall asleep in her embrace. For the first time in awhile since. She felt hope in her heart. With the Emerald Lady here to help them, they would stand a much better chance at leaving this place when the time came. Especially if she would be training her in the weeks ahead. She snorted softly into Axton's head, wiggling her tail. She had been uncertain how he would react to the horrible news, and was just glad he had been strong and accepted her. I will make it up to you Axton..For the rest of your life..She drifted off to sleep, and for once her dreams were pleasant. Of flying high in the sky with Axton cheering on her back. She looked to her left, and looked to her right. To see dragon's flying along side of her. She let out a great earsplitting roar of happiness. One she thought she would never get the chance to do.