Coming Undone

Ah yes, another good half-finished story that I will never do anything with ever again... wonderful.
Rose clutched at the stump of his left arm, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood, and scrabbling around in a widening crimson pool. “Please!” He cried. “You can’t do this to me! You can’t leave me like this!” 
“Can’t I?” A SandWing hybrid, his scales a charcoal black with a pale sand colored main, a thick metal choker or collar and chain around his neck stepped back into Rose’s field if vison. 
“Kai, please don’t do this. Don’t let me die here!” Kai crouched down so that he was level with Rose.
“You won’t die here Rose. At least not from this.” He grabbed Rose’s damaged arm, digging his claws into the flesh and scales. Rose screamed. Kai grinned. “There’s worse things to worry about out here than missing your arm. It’s the least of your worries.” He stood and with his wings spread wide said “Do you even know where you are?” Rose shook his head, tears rolling down his face. Kai’s grinned widened. “You’re in a better place Rose, or you will be if you live through the night. You’re going to love it here, I promise. If you’re still alive by tomorrow that is.” 
“Why do you keep saying that? Kai you were my friend, why would you do this to me? Where am I? What better place?!” Rose said. 
“Who ever said I stopped being your friend? Trust me, Rose. One day you’ll thank me for doing this.” Kai turned to leave. “Au Revoir, Rose. Oh, and one more bit of advice, I wouldn’t shout so much. They’re drawn to sound.” 
“Wait! Who’s drawn to sound?! Kai!!” Rose shouted as the black SandWing hybrid began walking away from Rose. He took the light went with him, leaving Rose in the dark.
=Welcome:=
Rose opened his eyes but saw nothing but shadows. He was sprawled out on his back, limbs, and wings askew. His whole body felt heavy, and his mind felt full of fog. Trying to lever himself up into a sitting position Rose cried out as sensation and pain lit his body on fire. With the pain the fog in his mind lifted Rose recalled what happened to him. He immediately tried to move his left arm but could move nothing below his elbow. His forearm was gone. Torn off by Kai. For good measure Rose made sure he could move the rest of his limbs. His whole body hurt but Rose didn’t think anything else was missing or broken. That was good at least. Rose also wasn’t bleeding anymore. That was probably why he’d felt so foggy and confused, extreme blood loss. Rose was lucky to be alive. He didn’t feel lucky though. He didn’t feel lucky though. He was down an arm, crouched in his own blood and surrounded by inky blackness. Rose tried to stand, this time considering his lack of an appendage. 
Didn't write anything between these cuz lazy. :p
Rose stood in the doorway to an elegant throne room. The floor was carpeted with the same red carpet as the hall, and many purple, green and orange drapes and tapestries lined the wall. Gold and oak furniture dotted the room. At the end of it was a high-backed throne. Gilded in gold with padded with plush velvet. Compared to the other wonders Rose had seen on this level, the throne and the whole room seemed tame, but leagues nicer than anything above level 5. A tall maroon SkyWing lounged in the throne, a dark silk cloak draped around his shoulders. In his talons, the end of a black chain. The other end connected to the collar worn by Kai, who lay upon the steps leading up to the throne like some demented pet. “Ah, Rose. So, kind of you to finally arrive. I’ve been waiting.” The SkyWing grinned a toothy smile, his bright yellow eyes flashing. “Don’t just stand there in the doorway, come inside and make yourself at home. I know it’s been a difficult journey.” Rose did as he was bidden, stepping further into the throne room. The oak doors closed behind him. The maroon SkyWing changed his position on his throne, sitting up a bit straighter and leaned forward slightly. “How’s your arm doing Rose? I trust that your replacement suits you well?” Rose nodded, looking down at his forearm. The gold prosthetic dully reflecting the candlelight within the room. He made a fist and looked back up at the SkyWing. “Excellent. I’m so glad that you’re happy with it.” 
“I’d much rather have my original arm.” Rose said giving the SkyWing a dirty look. The SkyWing shrugged. 
“Don’t blame me.” He shook the chain connected to Kai’s collar. “It was his idea.” Kai said nothing. Rose was really confused as to what was going on with the hybrid. Why was he just sitting there? The Kai Rose had known before wouldn’t have stood for this. Even the evil Kai who’d tormented Rose these past days wouldn’t have. The maroon SkyWing grinned again. “Nicer like this, isn’t he?” Rose said nothing. The SkyWing shrugged again. “I’m sure you have many questions Rose, but before we get to that allow me to introduce myself. My name is-“Rose cut him off, drawing closer to the throne saying
“What’s stopping me from killing you right now?! Making you pay for the things you’ve done to me, and the others?” In an instant Kai was standing and positioned between Rose and the maroon SkyWing. 
“Me.” He said, glaring at Rose. The SkyWing shook the chain saying 
“Now, now settle down both of you. I won’t have any violence. Not here.” Kai did as he was bidden and returned to his position on the steps. Rose nodded as the SkyWing rose from his throne. “As I was saying before you interrupted me, my name is Vulcan the ruler of this little community.”
“So, I deduced.” Rose said. He thought about the torn posters and the venom in the words of anyone who spoke of the ruler of the Tiers. It was nice to finally have the name of the dragon responsible for creating so much suffering. Something to curse. 
“So, you’ve heard of me?”
“Just bits and pieces here and there.” 
“Nothing negative I hope?” Rose chuckled slightly. 
“Sure.” Vulcan nodded. 
“Ah. I see. That’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” Vulcan pointed towards a small sitting area on the far-left side of the extravagant room. “Have a seat and I’ll do my best to explain everything to you, answer all your questions and clear up a few… misconceptions.” Rose nodded and walked over to the indicated area and sat. Vulcan followed him, after first whispering something to Kai and watching as the tall hybrid left the room. Rose too watched him go, once again wondering what was going on with him. He also thought about Kanzaki, waiting by himself outside the throne room. He wondered of the twitchy SeaWing was ok. Vulcan took a seat in front of Rose a small gold key in his claws. “I hope you understand Rose that I have no ill will towards you. I also hope that you haven’t let the words and actions of others influence your feelings towards me.” 
“Why would others be influencing me? If you’re such a saint, why would anyone have a need to say otherwise?” 
“Touché. In recent years I’ve had to make some choices to maintain order within the Tiers. Not everyone has been happy with things, and I just thought that they might have shared their unfounded feelings with you. Am I wrong?” Rose shook his head. Vulcan nodded. “As I thought. Then I would hope that you would put your prejudice aside for conversation.” 
“Fine.” 
“Wonderful. Now before I begin, I have but one final question for you. Why come here, to the very top through steep opposition, and when you could have been quite happy on one of the many levels you visited? Like with the old doctor and his son on level 1, the pretty NightWing seer on 5 or your dear friend Kanzaki who’s been with you since 17 where you were both much safer. Why not stop and be happy?” Vulcan’s comment about Kanzaki and being safer on 17 again made Rose wonder and worry about his friend. Was that where Kai had gone? As if his thought had summoned him, the tall charcoal colored hybrid reappeared a platter of food in his talons. He set it down on a small table between Rose and Vulcan, then returned to his customary position at Vulcan’s feet. Rose had seen a dark red splatter on the side of Kai’s face as he’d sat down. Not unlike a mark made when blood was spilt. “What were you doing Kai?” Rose thought. “Rose?” Vulcan asked, drawing the SandWing away from his thoughts. Rose shook his head a bit then said, 
“Why did I come all the way here Vulcan? Because I want to know why I’m here, in the Tiers. Why I was ripped away from my life, had my arm taken from me and left to fend for myself in the dark at the bottom of an oppressive society where everyone is betting against me. What did I do to deserve this?” Vulcan reached over to the plate of food and took a handful of dates. He ate one as he shrugged and said, 
“Nothing. There’s no particular reason why you ended up at the bottom. Just random chance. You’re not special Rose.” He paused. “Actually, that’s not true anymore but we’ll cover that shortly.” The maroon SkyWing ate a few more dates. “The way you ended up here is how everyone did, except maybe the loss of a limb but I digress. It’s the luck of the draw that you ended up all the way at the bottom. You could have easily ended up right here, on level 35 or on 20. In most cases one’s place in life here is randomly determined. Of course, I could change anything if I wanted too.” 
Category:Content (Isis The Masked Dragon)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Work in Progress
Category:Genre (Adventure)
Category:Genre (Tragedy)