FSE

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Death comes for us all in the end.

Chapter Twenty

Zyrapha

"Hide! He is coming!" Zyrapha hissed at her daughter.

She sensed the change in mana--how its warmth cooled into ice. She knew her time was up.

"No! I'm not ready!" Arapha protested. "You can't go yet!" Tears welled as she pulled her mother close, wrapping her in her wings. Their paws intertwined, unwilling to let go.

"Arapha, it is my time," Zyrapha replied softly. "I have lived far longer than any dragon has a right to. Even Airswyth is on his deathbed. I am not saying you must forget about us. I am saying it is time to let go."

Zyrapha felt Arapha's warm tears run down her scaly hide. She knew she had little time before Draconus arrived.

Zyrapha regretted not having more time with her daughter--she regretted a lot of things throughout her long life. What more would another regret matter?

"Arapha, you must leave now," Zyrapha warned. "I don't want to see you die. You are more precious to me than the entire world. Live your life for someone other than me. Fall in love. You will find it is the most amazing thing this world has to offer besides children."

Arapha reluctantly folded her wings. With tear-soaked scales and clenched jaw, she retreated.

Zyrapha leaned forward, licking Arapha's wet cheek. The tang of salt filled her mouth.

"Oh, my beautiful daughter, I am so proud of you. Promise me you will continue to live every day to its fullest. Keep the memories you cherish close to your heart. They will lend you strength when you need it most."

She sucked in a trembling breath, claws gouging the stone.

"I promise, Mother."

"When I am gone, find Ymerc," Zyrapha instructed. "Britosa chose him for a reason. I believe you will need him and he you in the future. Lend him your knowledge and he will surely lend you his strength."

Zyrapha knew Ymerc had hidden strength that even he didn't know he had. All he needed was the knowledge to use it. She just didn't understand what that strength entailed.

"I love you my beautiful daughter. Now, go!"

With the last of Zyrapha's strength, she shoved her daughter away, forcing her to the hidden tunnel in the back of the den.

Zyrapha knew her meddling with Ymerc's life would eventually lead to her death, but it didn't have to kill her daughter. Over the years, she prepared a tunnel that led far away to the same den Ymerc now used. She hoped it was far enough away that Draconus wouldn't find her. If only Zyrapha had known Ymerc was still alive, she could have better prepared.

Zyrapha only hoped that Draconus didn't pursue her. Even if he did, she had placed plenty of traps throughout that would surely hinder his progress. Unfortunately that's all she could hope for. His strength far outmatched any living creature.

Reluctantly, Arapha entered the tunnel, looking back one last time at her mother who smiled a wide toothy grin, eyes ablaze with all the love she had for her daughter.

"I love you, Arapha."

"I love you too, Mother," she replied, tears rolling down her cheeks.

With those words, Zyrapha closed the tunnel, igniting the string of black powder that sealed the tunnel behind a pile of debris.

Now, I wait.

She wouldn't have to wait long. She could feel Draconus's presence long before he arrived.

Draconus

There were a few things Draconus had to wrap up before meeting with his son--something he was very much looking forward to. After all, it wouldfinally free the rest of his power.

Draconus used his increased strength to walk through the shadows, his mind right behind him, inhabiting the large skeleton that once belonged to Anirin, filled with the power of his mind. Honestly, what a pathetic excuse for a dragon. He was so easily manipulated, though not as easily as Xolta. She truly believed everything he said, even the lies he made up on the spot.

"Good to see you're still breathing. Your premature death would have made coming here pointless, and I hate pointless," he announced as he stalked out of the shadows.

Zyrapha remained silent, her jaw clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

"No words? Well, I have a few. You have messed with my plans constantly, sending dragon after dragon to try to save a mere hatchling whose life isn't even worth the ground he treads upon. Your spying has made it very difficult to keep my work secret. Honestly, so many times I thought about coming to kill you. Still, I decided against it every time. I knew your time was coming either by my hand or another's."

His tail lashed behind him, knocking the nearest torch off the wall, shadows shifting with the moving light.

He was talking about Xolta. Her hate for Zyrapha nearly rivaled his own for this entire pathetic world. One day, he would show Britosa he was right. The vision he had for the world was the right one all along. A world with no sickness and no death, no good or evil, a world that was perfect in every way.

Reaching out with his magic, he sucked what remained of Airswyth's life, adding it to his own limitless pool, though he had less than a day to live going by the remaining life he stole. Draconus hoped Zyrapha would have more to take.

"I do have one question for you. You have lived far longer than any dragon in our history, and I know there is no such thing as the fountain of youth. After all, I spent ages searching for it."

Finally, Zyrapha opened her jaws.

"I fed off my own mana. I cannibalized myself in order to stay alive for my daughter and for Xolta.

Draconus's deep laughter filled the room. He hadn't expected the answer given. It was something he tried long ago to save one he loved, and while he had failed, Zyrapha had succeeded.

"I won't have others calling me merciless. I'll give you one chance to bow down before me and accept me as your ruler and lord. Fail, and your death will be painful."

"You are no king, and you definitely aren't a god. You are just a dragon who lost his way many years ago. I will not bow to you anymore than I would bow to a dog," she said calmly, though the twitching in her muscles betrayed her fear.

Rage swelled, a tsunami of anger and power. How dare she liken him to a dog? How dare she call him lost? She is the lost one, unwilling to bow before him.

"Very well."

Draconus opened his jaws, life began to flow from one dragon to the other in tiny particles, drawing out Zyrapha's suffering. He could tell she was fighting the agony, refusing to scream, but that's exactly what Draconus wanted--to hear her pain reach the skies, a wonderful cry he in which he relished.

He drew the link between them tighter, sucking her life at the smallest amount possible and multiplying her pain tenfold. Still, she did not give in, much to his dismay. She sat proud, head raised high, but as her life was sucked dry, her strength began to fail, her head drooping before touching the ground, her wings going lax as her life disappeared.

"Disappointing, but, oh well."

Draconus entered the shadows. Once he was in the sky, he readied his final preparation. He wouldn't let anyone get in the way of his task. The only ones who stood a threat to him were the ones who showed promise during his lessons, something he had prepared for in advance. The first time he sparred with those pitiful dragons, he embedded a spell of his own inside the one he had hit them with, a spell he was now ready to use.

He closed his eyes and reached out for the tendrils of mana linking him to every dragon he had fought with, magic lingering within every wound he dealt. He snapped a claw, links between him and a dozen others going taught before falling away like broken ropes.

Their lives ended before they even understood what was happening.

Now, he waited, Cyndrithil's mate would come looking for him eventually and bring Ymerc with her. All he needed now, after all of this time, was patience.

Entering the shadows was much harder in the noontime sun, but he managed. Once he had his full power back, even the brightest light wouldn't stand a chance against him. Soon, the world would be his.

A world with no suffering.

Ymerc

I saw Mother's hazy form in the sky, her powerful wings beating steady. She didn't slow down, not even as she approached the cliff, barreling right past me and into the den, head turning back and forth, looking for something.

"Mom?"

As if realizing I was there, she slowly turned around, peering through me as if I wasn't even there. Slowly, her eyes cleared, no longer filled with panic.

"Ymerc, you're back, when did you return?" There was a hint of poorly masked fear in her voice.

Something wasn't right.

"Mother, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Stay here," she commanded. "I have to find your father."

"Father? Is he missing? Did something happen?"

She barged past me, ignoring my question before taking off, her large form quickly shrinking as it approached the horizon tinted red by the setting sun.

I could have gone after her, but she told me to stay, as much as I hated obeying her when Father could be in danger, there was little I could do. For now, I waited for Mother to come back, hopefully with Father.

The sound of grinding stone drew my attention to the rear of the den where a sky-blue dragon with a black underbelly stood, her eyes red and puffy, cheeks wet amidst the fading sun.

What was her name again? It started with an A... Ala... ama...Arapha!

She stepped forward collapsing in a heap, a deep thud as a heavy weight hit stone.

"Arapha!" I sprinted forward, the question of why she was here suddenly gone from my head, focusing entirely on where she was hurt.

I circled her several times, ignoring the occasional shaky gasps as I looked for any injury but found none.

I needed to get help, even if I found where she was injured, there was little I could do. If only Mother were here, she could help.

"Hold on! I'm gonna get help."

I ignored her stutters as I leapt into the warm sky.

I headed for Zyrapha's den. Her mother would know how to help.

The familiar cliff quickly came into view, barrel diving down. I lowered my nictitating membranes, allowing myself to see amongst the harsh winds. I spread my wings, the wind hitting me hard as I was sent hurtling backwards before my paws came to rest softly on the warm sandy beach.

Around me, over a dozen dragons crowded around the den. I squeezed past, going under several dragons and almost getting wacked by a few tails.

At the front two dragons held the group at bay, their blue and orange wings covering the entrance to the den.

What happened?

"What Are you doing here little one? This is no place for a hatchling." The green dragon beside me angled their head down, a single grass green eye stealing my attention.

"What happened here?" Did this have anything to do with Arapha?

"The elders have passed away. Their lives have ended, but don't feel bad. It was simply their time. They lived far longer than normal. They are at peace now."

She moved her head, looking longingly towards the den.

Arapha wasn't injured, she was grieving, though that still didn't explain the sudden appearance in the den. At least her life wasn't in danger, knowing that I could head back.

The two guards lowered their wings, ushering forth the first dragon of purple scales we had met when we first arrived with Reryth and Fira in tow. Turning my back, I returned home. I really didn't feel like seeing them and their judgmental glares again.

Once outside of the shadows I headed home, though I still had to deal with Arapha.

What should I do?

When I lost Arlya, deep down all I wanted was the presence of someone. Just them--I didn't want words, just their presence, knowing I wasn't alone.

When I got back, Arapha was still in the same spot, her breathing having calmed down. It looked like she had fallen asleep.

I crawled close, curling my paws to keep as quiet as possible, like I did with Mother and Father. I snuggled close, lending her my warmth and as much comfort as my small form could possibly give.

Fira

As Fira strode outside the elders' den, she noticed a red, scaly hide covered in scars leave the crowd. Reryth was here because it was suspected the elders did not die of ordinary means. Fira had stayed silent while her mother had inspected the bodies, Temat nearby anxiously waiting for Reryth's response.

"They were murdered by dark magic. Whoever it was sucked their remaining life dry."

Mother's voice cut clear through the den. If Fira hadn't known Reryth any better, she wouldn't have noticed the angry undertone.

"Can we track who did it?!" Temat roared, anger filling her voice.

"No, the link between the two was severed expertly, I can't track them."

"Damn it all!" Temat bellowed. "If Zyrapha had never tried to save Xolta, none of this would be happening. They would still be alive."

Xolta? Who's that?

"Relax. What's done is done."

Fira followed her mother as they began to leave the den, where she noticed Ymerc leaving.

Of course!

The murderer returns to the scene of the crime. Ymerc had just tried to suck Mother's mana for himself, and when he failed to do that, he went for the next easiest thing: the elders.

Fira sneaked away from her mother, intent on ending this once and for all. The elders would be avenged, and finally Britosa would have no choice but to choose her.

It took longer than Fira would have liked to admit to get through the crowd of dragons. Ymerc made it look effortless. Every second, Fira had to avoid being whacked by a tail or stepped on.

Once through, Ymerc was already in the sky, a shadow in the fading light.

Fira took off, anger burning through her--anger at Ymerc for trying to kill her mother. If it hadn't been for her eyes, he would have succeeded.

She followed Ymerc to a nearby mountain where he disappeared into a small den. She would surprise him and take him out before he even realized what happened.

She slowed herself as much as possible. Her descent would be quick. She stayed her wings; flapping them would cause too much noise and he would hear her coming.

She realized too late she was coming in much too fast. Her paws struck the ground, claws digging in trying to slow her down. Screeching resonated through the den as she struggled for purchase on the stone, but it wasn't enough. Her speed sent her somersaulting into the cave, the wind knocked out of her.

Hazily she saw the form of a large blue dragon. Near the bottom of her neck, a red scaled head peeked above before the wind came rushing back into her chest.

She panicked, unable to get enough air into her lungs, heart beating wildly as her claws scrambled to bring herself upright.

Finally, her breathing caught up, vision clearing.

"What are you doing here? Did you follow me?"

Ymerc stood mere steps from her, his gaze lowered to meet her own.

Fira readied herself, letting her heart recover from the ferocious tumble she just took.

When she gathered herself, she sucked in a deep breath and pinned Ymerc to the ground.

"What are you doing!"

He wasn't allowed to ask that question. He knew exactly what he did. He tried to kill Mother and then went and killed the elders. Most of all, he stole Britosa. He didn't have long to live now that she was here.

Fira dug her claws into his belly, making sure he couldn't move. Fira wouldn't have her prey escaping at the last moment. Once he was dead, Britosa would have no other choice but to choose her, and finally the elders would be avenged.

Just before her teeth connected with his neck, she was whipped in the side, the sharp pain causing a momentary lapse in judgment. Her grip weakened, allowing her to be shoved off.

"First, you judge me without knowing my past. Then, you barge into my home uninvited and try to kill me? Get out!"

He wasn't gonna attack her? That wasn't like dark sorcerers, unless... if he attacked her, it would prove his admittance of murder. By refusing to fight back, he was making sure he could pretend he was innocent.

I won't let you get away with murder!

Fira remembered Reryth's teachings. "Always go for your opponent's weak point."

Reryth forced her to memorize countless weak points from dragons to harpies. For a dragon, especially as small as Ymerc, his wings were the most fragile. It took many years for them to get strong enough for combat.

Fira sprinted at him, acting like she planned to pounce, but at the last minute jumped to the side and rammed into his wing. Fira heard a satisfied snap of bone before a pain filled roar echoed through the den.

Mother's training was coming in handy. From what Fira saw, Ymerc had no self-defense experience at all, which made this so much easier.

Having hopefully broken his wing, she took advantage of his break in concentration and parted her jaws, biting his belly as she pushed him over onto his back. Digging her claws in once again, she made sure she had a firm grasp before parting her jaws, this time intending to finish the job.

"This is for Mother," she whispered in his ear before her jaws sunk around his neck. She tasted copper as the warmth of thick blood pooled onto her tongue.

One moment, she was about to take a life. The next she was sprawled on her belly, her ribs sending sharp bursts of pain that had her near blacking out with every breath.

"What is going on here?"

The flapping of large wings and the voice of her mother signaled her arrival. Fira would have cursed had her mind not been so enveloped in rising waves of pain.

She was so close, so close to being chosen by Britosa. Perhaps it was the pain flooding her mind or the fact she couldn't keep lying to herself, but she realized she wasn't trying to kill Ymerc for revenge. She wanted to be chosen by Britosa. There was no higher honor.

Britosa's strength coupled with Fira's gift--they would sweep the world and rid it of all evil. They wouldn't stop at dark magic. Anything she saw as evil would be destroyed.

"Your daughter attacked Ymerc, trying to kill him." The voice of Arapha reached her ears.

What was she doing here of all places? And how dare she intervene.

"Fira, of all the idiotic things you have done, this... I can't believe you would do this. I am very disappointed in you," her mother berated her.

Fira didn't care. She did what she thought was right, and she wouldn't regret her actions. After all, those were her mother's teachings. If anyone was disappointed it was Fira, Her mother's scolding was nothing more than hypocrisy. If only Fira's father would return from his journey. She knew he would take her side.

Through Fira's haze, she felt the warm flow of mana flood her side, her most likely broken ribs mending until all that was left was a dull throb.

"Get up," her mother commanded, fury lacing every part of her words, eyes colder than ice.

Fira stayed still. Reryth had lost her respect. She felt no need to obey her. Instead, she turned her head, refusing to meet her Mother's furious gaze.

"So, help me Fira... look at what you did to an innocent dragon!"

Reryth forcefully turned Fira around, a paw wrapping around Fira's skull, forcing her to look at Ymerc's mangled blood-soaked body; his wing hung at an unnatural angle, blood seeping from his throat in wide rivers. The weight of what she was about to do hit her like an avalanche. She was about to take a life, something that could never be undone. Horror filled her, the realization of death hitting her for the second time in her life.

"Do you see what you have done? He is innocent no matter what you think he did."

"But--"

Reryth turned her ice-cold stare to Fira.

"No buts. Ymerc did not kill the elders. He can't even use magic. How could he have used magic to take the life of two trained dragons?"

She had to admit her mother had a point. Perhaps she was wrong?

Arapha slowly rose on shaky legs, moving to check on Ymerc. She surveyed his mangled form before turning to Fira and Reryth.

"Besides the puncture wounds, his wing is dislocated. I would finish your squabble and heal him before he bleeds out."

Arapha's calm voice reached Fira. Was she expecting Reryth to heal him? She knew healing magic. Arapha could heal Ymerc herself. No need for her mother to step in. It wasn't Reryths problem.

To Fira's surprise, Reryth strode forward, looking Ymerc over.

"Fira, come here."

Maybe it was regret at seeing what she had done, or perhaps it was the anger in her mother's voice, but she eventually headed over to Ymerc's side. Her mother pointed to the humerus where a thick scar wrapped around the scales.

"You have been judging him since the moment he arrived on that cliff all because he used dark magic once without beginning to think about what happened in his past. Yet your past isn't much better than his." Reryth reached her paw down to his wing, quickly moving the disjointed muscle back into place with a quick motion.

"You have put a lot of honor and pride in your gift to see magic, something I allowed to happen. Look at the consequences. Your actions lead me to believe that you think Britosa should have chosen you. So I will tell you now: Britosa created the darkness. She isn't the perfect heroine you think she is."

Impossible.

"Our heroes are not always what we think they are. Give up on her. I don't want her anywhere near you."

Fira was stunned speechless, unable to quite grasp her Mother's words.

Her eyes registered the faint glow of mana as it healed Ymerc's wounds, but her mind was somewhere else dealing with the most recent revelation about her heroine.

Ymithia

When Ymithia came to, her mind was full of fog, sifting through her memories until it led her to where she is now. Before she was sent into a panic as the link between her and Cyndrithil nearly broke.

"Oh, look! Our great savior has come for us," a female voice declared, dense with sarcasm.

Ymithia found her mate, who appeared to be in terrible shape, but still alive. Nearby, another dragon paced through the darkness, her scales a bright red with a white underbelly.

"Is that Britosa?"

"It is indeed." Cyndrithil raised his head and began to explain the most recent events.

Ymithia found it hard to focus on the influx of information as her memories slowly returned. At least she hadn't brought Ymerc. Otherwise, things would be so much worse. It was unlikely he knew they were even here, all the better for it. As long Ymerc never came looking for them, he wouldn't find this horrific place--or Draconus. For now, he was safe.

Before Ymithia woke up, she remembered being attacked in the sky, knocked unconscious before she could even do anything. It seemed like Ymithia still had her strength unlike Cyndrithil. If Ymithia could escape she could go to the elders and have the entire clan swarm Draconus, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"Is there a way out of here?"

"Not one that we could find," answered Britosa, voice a little bitter.

"Could we go through that?" Ymithia pointed her claw up at the pool of scarlet.

"Not unless you want to die," came Britosa's bitter response. This whole situation seemed to be getting to her.

"Calm down. Getting angry won't fix any--"

"'Calm down?' How can I stay calm when I have failed to right my wrongs for over a thousand years, failing to save the lives of my species. Your son was supposed to be that fix. Instead, my stupid, idiotic mate decides to intervene once again and mess everything up! So, sorry if I'm a little stressed. It's not like the world's balance is in jeopardy."

Something finally snapped inside Ymithia. Perhaps it was the entire one-sided relationship between her son and Britosa, or perhaps, it was the danger she was in.

"My son is not your lapdog! You have been using him for ages, manipulating him for Vulneara knows how long. You have been forcing him to do your bidding since the first day, forcing him past his limits. If it wasn't for us, you would have killed him yourself. Once this is over, I expect you out of our lives."

Ymithia meant it. If Britosa wasn't gone after Draconus was defeated, she would kill Britosa herself.

"You have no idea what is at stake do you?"

"And why would we? It's not like you've been very forthcoming with information." Britosa must not have been used to someone talking back. Cyndrithil's words shut her up completely.

"There it is again: the famous silence. Perhaps it's not Draconus who is the real threat. After all, he's not keeping vital information from us. No, I think you are the enemy just as much as Draconus."

Britosa froze at Ymithia's cruel words before stalking up close, her body flexed and radiating power.

"How dare you!" she roared right in Ymithia's face. A bright red paw going right through Ymithia's head.

"That's all you are,: a ghost, And without your information, you are just a ghost--a spirit who refuses to move on," Ymithia stated calmly.

She watched Britosa's eyes well with tears, each sliding down her scales before evaporating into white mist on the air.

Britosa turned her back. A few strides away she turned around, eyes puffy, but clear with conviction.

"You want to know how this all started?" Britosa didn't wait for an answer before continuing.

"One-thousand five-hundred years, ago I accepted Draconus as my mate. The world was peaceful. There was no such thing as dark magic. Only the cruel actions of others." Britosa exhaled a shaky breath as she lost herself in the memories.

"One year after, I gave birth to a hatchling and watched as she crawled from her egg, perfectly healthy. Draconus and I couldn't have been happier."

Sobs racked Britosa's body, a loud screech echoed through the cavern as her claws forcefully grinded against the stone.

"Six months after she crawled from her egg, she became sick. We waited for her to get better, but her body only weakened. Out of desperation, we saw every healer we could, and each one told us the same thing."

Britosa stifled a breath, her tail frozen behind her.

"We became desperate to save our daughter, turning to myths and legends, from the fountain of youth to a mermaid's tears. We even tried feeding her our mana, something that was supposed to heal anything at the cost of life, but it failed. Everything we tried failed!" she bellowed, eyes scrunched shut tightly.

Ymithia had heard of a sickness like this before. It wasn't anything like Creeping Death. It was a rare disease that affected the mana flow in the body, eating the hosts mana supply until nothing is left. Once that's gone, it feeds on the organs, a process that can be extremely painful and long. Of course, transferring mana wouldn't work. It was indeed Mana Necrosis. According to Furest, because of the rarity, it would be some time before a cure could be developed.

Britosa's words drew Ymithia from her thoughts.

"As time passed, all we could do was try to alleviate her intense suffering. When it became clear that Nekarra wouldn't last through the week, I stopped searching and spent as much time with her as I could, doing my best to comfort her, but Draconus never gave up. He turned to something darker, a legend that spoke of intense power strong enough to heal any affliction. To this day, I don't know where he heard such a thing, but he followed a path I didn't dare go down."

Britosa paused, her eyes squinting shut, claws scratching the stone in a high-pitched screech.

"The night Nekarra...passed. Draconus came back radiating power. The very air seemed to flow away from his body. He claimed he had discovered the truth to life. I watched as he raised my daughter from the dead. At first, I was too blind to see that she wasn't my daughter, just a mindless corpse. It wasn't until she attacked me a week later that I knew what Draconus had done was wrong."

Britosa paused to gather herself.

"With no other choice, I cut my own daughter down and burned her remains, leaving no trace as to her presence. Luckily, we were far enough away from anyone else that no one knew of my actions or my mate's. When Draconus came back and saw what I had done, he was furious. The next morning, he was gone, and I wouldn't see him again for quite a while. If only I hadn't killed Nekarra, maybe none of this would be happening."

"What happened next?" Cyndrithil asked, his voice lilting higher in curiosity.

"The months passed without a sign from Draconus. It wasn't until darkness blotted out the sun that I knew something bad had happened. I flew for what seemed ages, watching as the land and animals became corrupt, turning into mindless creatures with only a skeleton to call their bodies. Eventually I gave up hope and returned home to the very place where it all began."

Ymithia couldn't imagine this happening between her and Cyndrithil. It would tear her apart. While they had their differences, and it wasn't always perfect between them, she loved him with everything she had.

"When I returned, Nekarra was there in spirit form just as I am now. She gifted me with light to fend off the darkness, an ability no one had ever had before me. There hadn't been a need. Using it, I created a safe haven for the creatures of the world, a place where they could live without fear. Eventually, that too fell apart. Draconus's minions started to attack, wearing down my strength with each battle. Their strength far surpassed what their bodies should have been capable of."

Ymithia's heart broke for Britosa. Losing a child like that must have been beyond painful. Then to lose her mate, she wondered how Britosa was still able to fight.

"Then he came, like thunder on the wind, a boom with each flap of his wings, his roar capable of rending entire forests. He was so powerful, I never stood a chance. Right as he was about to take my life, the phoenixes and other creatures I had protected came to my rescue, not only distracting Draconus and his army, but also sacrificing their lives and giving me their strength so that I might have a chance. I watched as friend after friend perished in the fight.

"With my new found strength, I fought Draconus, eventually overpowering him. I tried to kill him, but he just came right back. Instead, I sealed him away, but with his soul inhabiting another dragon and his mind controlling Anirin's body. I believe he scattered his mind and soul to the winds, and that was how he was able to thwart me all these years--how he is doing it now."

"What about his body?" Ymithia asked, wondering what would happen to his body if his mind and soul were scattered.

"I sealed his body away along with all of his power. I thought that was the end of it. It wasn't until Vulneara was attacked that I knew I needed to come back, that Draconus had returned. It should have been impossible for him to regain even a small amount of his great strength, yet he did just that by sacrificing his son: Ymerc. To this day I still don't understand how he did it. He was always more creative than I."

A burst of light filled the room as a tunnel opened to the surface and Draconus appeared.

"You know exactly how I did it. You just refuse to acknowledge the truth," he said, power emanating from his voice as it echoed through the cave.

Britosa remained silent.

"Very well."

Draconus turned towards Ymithia and Cyndrithil, his gaze one that radiated nothing but power and pride.

"It took me countless years to get to where I am. I needed to wait for the perfect dragon to come along, one that I could possess if given a weakness--one I could use. You see, I couldn't just use any body. It had to be one that was closer in likeness to my soul, one that the body wouldn't fight. I bid my time until I came across one that was perfect."

He motioned with a claw towards his body.

"If I recall, his name was Beldrir, and his power of illusions would come in very handy. Around the same time a certain dragoness had just lost her daughter and fled, seeing my chance I took it, possessing Beldrir. I found Xolta, who having just lost her daughter was all too happy to trust and love the next thing she came across, believing everything I said, I never even had to use my illusions to force her to believe me. She was so trapped by her own pain she refused to see anything that was going on around her, including the truth of her mate, and the torture of her hatchling."

Draconus stepped closer, the smell of his rotten breath clear in Ymithia's nostrils.

"Eventually, Xolta gave birth. The first time I tried to torture the stupid hatchling, Xolta fought back, something I wasn't expecting. I assume it had something to do with a mother's instincts, so I placed her under a powerful illusion that had her believing she hated the hatchling. The only thing I couldn't get her to do was partake in the torture. So, while I shed Ymerc's blood, I simply placed her under a magical coma, planting her mind with fake memories of us, the same way I did to Ymerc. Meanwhile, with every tear in the hatchlings body, I sucked his life from his body, using its strength to gain my power back, something that was only possible thanks to the long life he had ahead of him."

Draconus chuckled, his jaws gaping wide as his deep laughter filled the blood drenched cave.

"Is this true?" a new voice entered the scene, a dragon who looked very similar to Ymerc strode through the entrance Draconus had just created.

Draconus spun around, eyeing the new arrival

"I was sure you would have figured it out the moment you and Beldrir became mates, but to my surprise, you didn't, allowing me to go unheeded with my plans. After all, due to the potency of the magic used during the ceremony, one can only be mated to one dragon, and seeing as how I was already mated to Britosa, I used Beldrir's soul, something I doubt he remembers"

Xolta broke down, her body slumping to the ground in a pile of hopeless scales.

"I could have done the same to any dragon or creature I wanted," Draconus continued as if Xolta's arrival had changed nothing. "But a hatchling had the most life to steal, sucking an adult's life would have taken far too long and far too many bodies. I knew I stood no chance of taking another's child, so I made my own with dark magic flowing through his veins."

Draconus turned to Ymithia, his eyes glowing black amidst the sun lit backdrop of the cave.

"Eventually, I decided to kill the hatchling, stealing the rest of his life for my own power that would have been enough to free my body from the seal placed by my stupid mate!"

Draconus rounded on Britosa, his tail whipping right through her.

"After Ymerc was dead, I wondered why my power had not returned. It wasn't until the day he used dark magic to enslave that useless harpy that I realized he was somehow alive. Tell me Britosa, how did you bring him back from obliteration?"

Was he saying he could sense every creature who used dark magic?

Draconus turned, his eyes piercing Ymithia.

"Let me correct your question. I can see through the eyes of every creature who has used dark magic. I can even influence them to some extent." He turned back to Britosa, his claws passing right through her neck in a hazy fog.

"Tell me how you brought little Ymerc back to life."

"That wasn't my doing. I don't have that kind of power, nor would I want it."

Draconus looked taken aback, clearly not expecting the answer she provided.

"No matter, he will soon be dead anyway. After the years of torture, I would say he has no more than two months to live. He should be showing signs of deterioration any day now. Though, I could change that. It wasn't until after I tried to kill him for the second time that I realized the stupid thing carries my genes. He would serve as a perfect body for me especially since he used dark magic, allowing me through the door. I don't need my original body back. I only need Ymerc's."

Ymithia was struck with horror. It couldn't be true. Two months to live? Dark magic running through his veins? It would explain why he couldn't use regular magic. The two cancel each other out, and why he still smells of death.

"Of course, I can save him. I took his life. I can give it back."

But at what cost?

"His soul!" Draconus roared gleefully.

Ymithia realized then he could read her thoughts. She needed to be careful about what she thought from now on.

Draconus sat down, his body relaxed against the chilled stone before turning his gaze to Ymithia.

"Ymithia, you were supposed to bring Ymerc with you when you came. I thought I would have to brave an entire clan of dragons to get to him, but then Zyrapha pushed her daughter into play. I knew she was watching as I killed her parents. I wanted her to. I know she wants revenge and when her grief gets the better of her. She will come for revenge bringing the exact dragon I want." Draconus angled his head, looking at the skeleton draped in bloody tendrils. "Mind, would you shut the light out? It's bothering my eyes."

Ymithia watched as the skeleton dropped from the pool diving out of it as it fell with a downpour of scarlet before landing in a clattering of bones. It flicked its wrist, the evening light that bled in was swept from the den casting it into perfect shadow.

"Shall we wai--"

Ymithia sprinted into action, heading straight for the exit. She needed to escape, get to her son, get him as far away as possible, then come back with hundreds of dragons and rid this world of Draconus once and for all. She barely made it to Xolta before she stopped. Ymithia stared down in wonder, her body frozen, ignoring her calls to action.

"Oh, please don't bother. This is my domain. I can control any creature in here. You are powerless." Draconus marched her back to her spot along with Xolta whose tears flowed unheeded down her face, the life in her eyes snuffed out, nothing remaining of the light she once held.

Was there truly nothing she could do for her son?