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Part IV of the Adapted Series

Man, I was getting tired of waking up in strange places. This time, I woke up laying on a very comfortable bed. The bare walls of the large room I was in were made of stone and were circular. A single oak door led out of the room. I looked down to examine the state of my wounded torso. My bare chest and stomach were wrapped in linen bandages and there were no traces of blood. The door creaked open and a very strange creature walked in.

He had the pointed ears of a wolf, but the more rounded muzzle of a domestic feline. He had strong, broad shoulders and a lean but muscular bare chest. As he walked closer, my ears picked up on a slight dragging sound followed by a click each time he stepped. He came through the door awkwardly, shifting to bring his large, black dragon wings through the entrance. His entire body was mostly black, save for the stone-grey stripe on his muzzle and three matching stone-grey rings on both of his upper arms. His black-and-grey spined dragon tail swished by his feet, which were the strangest of all. He had feline feetpaws, but the toes were more spread out, like a bird foot--complete with sizable talons. When he moved, stripes of black scales on his belly shined slightly. He looked at me with big, wild yellow eyes and a wicked grin that showed off his enormous fangs that were almost too big for his maw. "I said it before, but I'll say it again," he started, his voice like that of a teenager about to plot something wild and crazy, "you are one lucky-ass fox." He chuckled abruptly, a bone-chilling sound. But he reacted as one would after coughing from sinus congestion.

"The name's Icarus. So, tell me my fatigued foxy friend, what the Hell were you doing at the Dark Castle?" I stopped examining the strange creature and sat up on the bed. "My...something precious of mine's in there, and I need to get it back," I explained, not fully trusting this creature. I looked for my sword and armor, relaxing when I saw them both laying on the floor beside the bed. "What a twist!" he tilted his head back and laughed. I was starting to question his mental stability. He stretched out his wings, the tips almost brushing the stone walls on either side. He flapped once, propelling himself a few feet off the ground before landing perfectly on the foot of the bed. I backed up, my sore muscles screaming in pain. He frowned a little. "I didn't mean to frighten you, nameless knight," he said. "Sorry, I'm just a little jumpy," I explained.

"Well, getting shot full of arrows will do that to ya."

"I guess. Anyways, my name's Kodiel. Thank you for saving me."

"A fox in need is a friend indeed." He laughed at his own nonsensical rhyme.

Icarus leaped off the bed and onto the floor. "Now, I can assume that you are very hungry, Kodiel. Luckily, I just got back with dinner!" I nodded, my stomach growling. He smiled again and turned to walk out the door. His back had a patch of scales that ran from his tail to his wings, and a column of spines ran down his spine. He looked to me and gestured for me to follow. I slowly got out of the bed and walked over to him. He led me through the door.

I followed Icarus outside. Looking back, I saw that I had been in the ruins of a stone tower that was now collapsed, the only thing intact being the first floor. He motioned for me to sit on a rusty metal barstool pulled up near a fire pit surrounded by a short wall of stone likely taken from the ruins. A spit over the fire pit held a roasted creature that resembled a turkey. Icarus pulled off one of its hind legs and offered it to me. I took it gratefully and took a small bite of the golden-brown meat. "Mmm..." I sighed. It was juicy and warm and seasoned to perfection.

Between the both of us, we had the whole bird picked clean within the hour. We exchanged stories and jokes late into the night. "So, you're telling me that you're from another Remnant?" he asked me. "Remnant? I'm not sure I follow."

"Remnants. Different realities. Etekahl's 'worlds'."

"Yeah...wait, worlds? You mean I'm still on Etekahl?"

"Yep. Only, in a different reality. The Remnants exist at the same time, in the same world, but are kept separate. Only those that have the ability to access magic can travel across them."

"Why are they called Remnants? Doesn't that mean that it used to be-"

"Yep yep. Etekahl used to be one enormous reality. A mix of technology and magic."

"What happened?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I never bothered to find out. So, why are you really here?"

"I told you."

"I already know that you're here for the flame. I can hear its voice too."

"What's all this about a flame? I'm just here to get my mate back."

"Seriously? Kodiel, your mate is the flame."

"What?"

"It's kinda hard to explain. It takes time that we don't have. But, if you wanna take on Shaikhal, count me in. However, you're gonna need something more than hand-me-down half-plate armor."

"What do you suggest?"

He paused to chuckle and shake his head vigorously. "I don't suppose you know how to harness magic, do ya?"

"Um...no."

Icarus rose to his paws and backed up. When he was a few feet away, he flapped his wings. The wind picked up around him and stirred into a violent updraft. He stretched out his wings and lifted off the ground--and just hovered for a minute before gently floating back down. I was in awe. No dragon I knew could do that. "You have magic. You have to possess a good amount of it to be able to travel. I can feel it burning within you. Harnessing it isn't about commanding it. It's about letting it flow through you. Power can flare with strong emotions, and control can flare with focus. It's about balancing both, keeping yourself in check." He sat on the ground with his legs crossed and his arms resting on his knees. I followed his lead. He closed his eyes, breathed in deeply through his nose, and out through his maw. Doing the same, I could feel something deep within me. "Focus on whatever keeps you going, whatever just feels right."

I dug deep, the world around me fading away.

I saw a beautiful red wolf. She smiled at me, her jade eyes sparkling with kindness. Then I saw her lit by the moon, pinning me to the soft grass, panting with desire. I saw her again, curled against me. My heart ached, longing for her. I would never stop. Not until she was in my arms again. I drew on that love, that passion, and felt something rise from within me to respond. The void in my mind filled with deep blue flames. But they didn't burn. My mind sharpened, and I opened my eyes.

Blue flames danced in both of my open palms. They tickled my hands, but didn't burn at all. It felt right. "Good," Icarus said softly, "remember, it's not about controlling it. Let it flow through you. Do what feels right." I followed my instincts and inhaled deeply. I could feel the air heating in my lungs. Something clicked, and I breathed out forcefully. A jet of deep blue flames poured out of my open mouth and illuminated the ruins. Once the light faded, I looked to Icarus. He smiled at me in awe. "Kohlthaine, huh? Well, it's a start. Fire doesn't really have defensive capabilities, save for overpowering magical attacks. Alright, ready to begin?" I nodded eagerly. I felt full of energy. I felt alive.

. . .

We sparred through the night and planned through dawn. We would storm the castle at sunrise, because flames were stronger under the sun, and dark magic was weaker in the light. When the sun finally peeked over the castle ruins, we started preparing. I donned my armor, grabbed my sword, and did some breathing to calm my nerves. "Ready?" Icarus asked. I nodded. "Let's do this shit," I exclaimed.

"That's the spirit! Let's fucking do this!"

And so Icarus picked me up with surprising ease and flew to Dark Castle. We landed in front of the entrance. The plan was to get her out of Dark Castle, and I knew just how to do it.

"Shaikhal, I'm here for the flame!"

"Well hello again toy knight. Why should I even bother?"

"Because you are missing something."

"And what would that be?"

"Me. I am bonded to the flame. So, Shaikhal, can you truly claim the flame if there is a challenger? Show yourself so that I may challenge you!"

"As you wish, toy knight. Your friend won't help much."

Shadows gathered at the base of the castle, forming a viscous lake of liquid darkness that bubbled and churned as if it were boiling. Four long, menacing arachnid legs, dripping with the liquid darkness pushed out of the shadow lake and planted themselves on the ground. A draconic-spider creature rose from the Void Pool. It had four long legs that protruded from its back and a long, reptilian body complete with a draconic head that had four stark white eyes on both sides. It twisted its face in a horrifying smile. "Fine, little fox..." it spoke, revealing the nightmarish sight of its shark-like rows of razor-sharp teeth. With reckless abandon I screamed and lunged forward, sword drawn. Icarus followed hot on my heels as the battle commenced.

Attack after attack seemingly did nothing to even weaken the Grimm. I spun in a deadly dance, a mix of offense and defense. The Grimm jabbed at me with one of its legs. I deflected it with my sword and countered with a flaming claw swipe that it deftly dodged. We continued the dance of dodge and deflect, until my sword struck true in its belly. It hissed in pain and swiped at me with its spiked tail that hit me square in the chest, making me stumble back. "No!" Icarus shouted. He dove at the creature, only to be batted aside by one of its legs. Neither him nor I rose immediately. We were exhausted. The battle had drawn out through the day. I panted and rose to my paws once more. "C'mon Icarus, let's get this shit done!" I shouted, charging in. Icarus dove claws-first. But he got slammed in the chest by the tail, bashing into a wall and crumpling to the ground. At me, the creature breathed a cone of black fog. I tried to roll out of the way, but exhaustion hit me and I didn't make it. The fog burned my skin like acid and filled my mind with irrational fears. I collapsed to my knees, clutching my pounding head. Suddenly, everything was interrupted by a piercing pain in my chest, right above my stomach. Blood dripping from my maw, I looked down.

Shaikhal's tailspike had gone clean through me. My vision went blurry, I choked on my own blood, and my head pounded. "Now, toy knight. This is more like it," the creature hissed. I coughed up blood as it pushed the spike further into me, the tip piercing through my back. "DIE!"

. . .

As everything began to fade to black, memories filled my mind as I relived my life. My human years, too. Nothing had held any meaning then. Until...her. Aelyn. The only woman who had held my heart. Tears lined my eyes as I relived my only good life--my life with her. Then, everything snapped into focus. This was not the end. I would not die here. My senses were overtaken by fire that roared through my body. Something more awoke within me. Something...ancient. My eyes shot open and all I could see was my deep blue flames that danced along my entire body. "Shaikhal," I called, the creature's tailspike still embedded in my chest, "your miserable existence has reached its end." It looked at me, eight eyes glinting with shock and...fear? Even Icarus looked up. I could feel my body burning and pulsing with raw magic that coursed through my veins. I gripped the spike in my chest with both hands and, with impossible strength, pulled it out. The hole sealed itself instantly. The Grimm recoiled in shock as my entire body ignited into blue flames. It felt like the time that Aelyn had caused the mutation in my DNA that transformed me into Kodiel. Only this was much more potent--much more powerful.

My paws lifted off the ground as wings protruded and extended from my back, snapping into place, connected to my shoulderblades. My tail melted in the heat, the liquified fur hardening into scales and the bones lengthening as new muscle built. My claws and fangs lengthened. My muscles expanded. When the flames dimmed, I didn't need to look at my new body to know what I had become. I had become a dracofox. I flapped my new wings and hovered over the Grimm. "Impossible! There's no way that you could still be alive! How did you leave the human world after-No, it can't be!" it screamed telepathically. It let loose another cone of darkness. I didn't even try to avoid it. Instead, I pulled the dark power into my body and burned it like fuel. The more it let out, the stronger my flames burned. It grew to such an intense heat that it started melting the stone walls of the castle behind me. Eventually, the Grimm ran out of breath. "My turn," I proclaimed, inhaling deeply. When I felt the familiar click and burn, I let loose. My Dragonsbreath roared forth like a blue inferno, engulfing the giant creature entirely. It hissed in pain as I roasted the creature. The Dragonsbreath hit the castle and began liquifying the stone walls. The inferno faded and I saw her--Aelyn. She was shackled to the wall on the third floor, head hanging and eyes closed.

All other thoughts out of mind, I turned my back on the burning creature and flew to her. "Aelyn!" I called. The wolfess looked up with broken, hopeless jade eyes. When she saw me, all hope returned to her face. "K-Kodiel?" she cried out, tears sparkling in her eyes. I touched down on the stone floor and breathed blue flames at her chains. They instantly melted under the heat and broke. She rose to her paws and started to run to me. Only, right before she reached me, a glistening black arrow pierced her heart. "If I cannot claim the flame, neither can some Ascended freak!" Shaikhal's dying voice hissed. Aelyn collapsed. "No, no, no! Aelyn, NO!" I screamed, running over to her. She looked up at me with fading eyes and reached up to caress my cheek. I grabbed her hand and looked into her quickly dimming eyes before they faded completely. I almost began crying. Almost. "Deahv kumlaou yune thieaei. (Flame of Hope, find Fire of Heart.) Tsuntaie giererae miraneen viyalthen. (Hold the life still remaining and burn again.)" Red-gold flames danced along Aelyn's body and burned within her eyes. "Aelyn, kundiehl Riyalyn, miraneen! (Aelyn, borne of Riyalyn, burn again!)" Her dream body that had been trapped here dissolved into a pile of ashes.

Icarus landed beside me. "I suppose this is goodbye?"

"Yep. I gotta go to my mate. Thank you for everything, friend."

"Friend...It's not goodbye, just 'see you around'."

I looked at him confusedly then shrugged. "Then, I'll see you around, Icarus." I called upon the power within me and pulled myself to the flame.

. . .

I woke up on the floor of the hospital room. Aelyn looked down at me with happy eyes full of tears. "Everything hurts..." I groaned, "do I still have wings?"

"Yep. You saved me."

"Of course. I have to protect my mate."

"Your...mate, huh? Since when am I your mate?" She was teasing, wanting me to make it official.

"Since now," I declared, rising to my paws. I pulled in my wings and walked over to her bed. I pulled her in for a kiss. "I love you, Aelyn."

"Kodiel, I want to be yours." She looked up at me with wanting eyes that spoke volumes of her intentions. "Aelyn, kundiehl Riyalyn, I claim you as my mate." The phoenix marking on my shoulder burned, sealing the claim. "Kodiel, Gentle Flame, I claim you as my mate," she returned. I kissed her again.

"Just wait 'till I get out of this hospital..."

"Oh no. Just, mind the wings."

"Mmm...I could get used to this new form of yours. I wonder what other kind of...benefits it comes with..."

"Oh jeez Aelyn."

"You know you love me."

"You are absolutely right."

Nightshade