Myths and Legends

When Tsunami is killed, a search for the killer prompts Starflight to discovering a secret about his and the other dragonet's heritage.
It takes a god to change destiny. Good thing we're halfway there.
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== Prologue: The Dead Sea ==
Tsunami's tail swished back and forth as she descended to an underwater cavern. Spots of algae dotted the entrance, and the whole cavern looked deserted. Maybe this a waste of time, but Tsunami had nothing better to do today. Coral had tried to make her stay for a language course, which of course featured her own works exclusively, but following a mysterious message was much more fun and daring. Tsunami swam up to the cavern, climbing out of the water and opened up the message again.
Dear Tsunami,
I invite you to a meeting. You are to not discuss this with Coral, or she will murder me and maybe you too. We are all in great danger, and who better to save the world than the dragonets who did it once already. You shall meet me at the cave under Shell Island, the one with the tattered scavenger ship on the inside. I await your arrival.
With great worry, Cloak
Cloak? What kind of name was that? It didn't sound like a Seawing name, but whoever invited her here was able to swim to such great depths to find this cave. Well, as Tsunami looked around, she did see a tattered boat, one sunk a long time ago. But it had already been ten minutes and it still wasn't here. "Come out, squid-brain!" Said Tsunami, her talons pounding the ground.
A figure rose from depths like a corpse, barely making a noise. Tsunami's ear perked up. It was wearing a long cloak, and it appeared to have deep ridges under it's eyes. It's nose had three scars along it, like someone had tried to kill it, but missed and clawed it's maw instead. "Tsunami?" Cloak said in a deep gravelly voice. Most likely a male dragon.
"Yes." Said Tsunami, wary of the dragon that appeared to be no tribe in particular. If she were to put a talon down on it, it would most likely be a Nightwing-Skywing hybrid, judging by it's smoky scent and spiky ridges. But why wouldn't it want her to meet on the island in that case?
"You have been summoned, correct?" Said Cloak, his eyes narrowing, eyeing her up and down. The blue Seawing stepped back a bit. Maybe she shouldn't really be here. But what did he mean by "summoned"?
"What!?" Said Tsunami. Cloak laughed. " I guess that is irrelevant." He said.
" Do you aid my cause?" Cloak said, his eyes closing for a minute. " You will need to gather the rest, but Glory must be killed. It is only destiny. The rest will be safe, and Pyrrhia will be too. Her very survival threatens the balance of our world."
Tsunami recoiled. Kill Glory? No way she would do that. Glory, although she could be annoying, was still the second-closest thing she had to sister growing up. "Why!?" Tsunami demanded. "You are crazy!" Cloak frowned, his teeth seeming sharper than ever before.
"I thought you might say that. You were always the protective one." He whispered, before lunging for Tsunami, his teeth bared. His wings flared out, revealing that they were dripping like wax under a candle flame.
Tsunami clawed his soft underbelly, yet he gave no roar of pain, not even flinching. He tossed her away, into the net of the scavenger ship. Tsunami struggled under the net, yet it would not hold her down for more than a few seconds. Instantly, Cloak let out a burst of fire, the hellish flames washing over the cavern. "You have become tainted, in your mortal frame. I smell your soul, it's full of rage." Said Cloak, watching Tsunami roar as the flames licked at her scales.
Tsunami ran past the flames and smashed him with her thick tail, sending the dragon flying across the room. She went up him, pinning him to the floor. "Listen, you crazy dragon, go away before I kill you!" Said Tsunami, angered by this mysterious dragon who led her out here, threatened to kill Glory and now was trying to kill her.
"Relax. I wish you the best in your next vessel." Said Cloak. " You are a fool, you'll never unlocked your true potential." He said, summoning red-hot chains that wrapped around Tsunami's body. Before she could bite his maw off, barbed wires wrapped around her maw and neck, throwing her to the ground. He unveiled his sharp blade-like talons and gave a slight frown. Tsunami's eyes widened.
"Good night, Sea-Queen." He said, bringing his blades down on Tsunami. Red blood gushed from her neck and as Tsunami opened her eyes one last time, she saw him walk away, leaving only flames behind. Nobody was there. She was all alone now, and she was dying. Dying with knowledge she needed to know, clueless and helplessly lonely. One last struggling spasm, and her head laid firmly on the ground.
All her lights were gone.
== Chapter 1: Morning, Mourning ==
Starflight rolled out of his bed, the warm leaves rustling as he made his way out of the leaf-Rainwing hut. This all must be a bad dream. He was on a short visit to see Glory.. everything else was just a dream.. right? Starflight felt his talons sink into the wooden bridge, made soft by the rain the night before.
Starflight let out a sigh. It was time to go through the same routine again. Deny, realize and hide away. But she couldn't really be dead could she? Whatever had happened, Starflight knew she went out fighting. But who, was a sizable question. Starflight walked down from the hut he was staying in, his tail dragging across the bridge as he got down, over a creek and onto the forest floor.
"Starflight, are you alright? " Said Sunny, barely concealing how sad she felt, her eyes squinted and beady despite the fact the rain had stopped hours ago. It was a vicious storm, as if it was raging at Tsunami's death. Death, I shouldn't be thinking about it. Thought Starflight, his eyes threatening to spill at the very mention of death. Sunny leaned up against him, wrapping her wing around his shoulder. It had been 2 days, but the pain was as fresh, like an open wound.
Glory had ordered them all here out of fear for their lives, once she had learned of Tsunami's death. After all, if someone had killed one of the dragonet, who's to say they wouldn't go after the rest? Glory herself hadn't been outside since she got the message, and neither had Clay. Well, sometimes Starflight saw Glory peeking out to do a royal duty or two, but she had stayed locked in her leafy palace for the longest time. Whether it was out of fear or sadness Starflight did not know.
But out of nowhere, Glory had come slogging out of her palace, her wings almost dragging across the ground. She looked like she hadn't got sleep in a long, long while. She stood above, on her platform, in the new upgraded Rainwing Palace, although it was still pretty generous to call it a palace (it was more like a two-story hut). Sunny pulled herself away, desperate to get a look at the Rainwing Queen.
"Rainwings and Nightwings" She began, her voice weak and raspy. Her eyes shifted from side to side, like a winding snake, although their gaze was not harsh like usual, but soft and broken. " We are here to honour a dead dragon, almost a sister to me. Tsunami.." Her voice trailed off, as if she was unsure of what to say next. She held several scrolls in her talons, but they were all covered in mad scribbles of text and tear-stains.
"We'll find whoever did this to you." Said Glory, looking down to the ground. "We'll find whoever did this, and we will avenge you. And I won't sleep for one minute until that happens!" Said Glory, angrily tossing the scrolls to the ground, storming out, her steps leaving claw marks in the platform. Angry, that was what she felt. Thought Starflight. He could feel a similar wrench in his guts when he thought about who the killer could be. I suppose we all feel a bit that way.
What kind of dragon would kill a royal out of nowhere, a royal that happened to be one of the bringers of a new age of peace no less? Starflight was curious to find out. And out of the sadness and grim festering in his heart came one solitary goal. Find the killer, and his purpose.
== Chapter 2: Dead Ends ==
Starflight flipped through his third tome this night. Dark bags hung under his night blue eyes, his talons wearily flipping through another page. This didn't make any sense! He had been searching through Seawing lineages for an entire day and nothing had shown up. Nobody was even vaguely related to Gill, and he had very few connections. Orca was a nonentity and Queen Coral's Seawing enemies were all dead, hung by their necks or eaten alive by eels.
The murder was underwater, so the most likely secondary candidate was a Mudwing. Yet looking through their tome, he found nothing relevant. No enemies of the Seawing Kingdom, no dragons who could reasonably hold a grudge against her or her family (except a couple of crippled veterans, but Starflight doubted they could kill Tsunami). Almost as a concidence, Clay's most likely father, Roots, an amber-speckled Mudwing from a blood-coloured egg, had no known relatives. He was simply found in the mud one day, as described in the birth records.
It was late, the three moons on their peak, casting a lovely display of stars over the night sky. A radiant display in the sky, yet in this time of grieving, Starflight doubted they could make him feel better even if he could se their grandeur. Everything was going nowhere, leading him in pointless circles. It seemed this killer had outsmarted him for now.
Closing the heavy tome, he walked, defeated, to bed...
----
A flash beamed before his blind eyes. All the colours and shapes so vivid, despite the fact he would never see them in his waking hours. The only place he could see again was his dreams. Yet this one was so vivid.. and scary. Jutting black-red spires, sharp like dragon teeth, bit into the green, smoky skies. A pale purple figure danced along the spires, looking over the edge every so often. A dark grey-green one, almost the same colour as the sky, covered in a white cloak, followed the purple dragon.
When Starflight looked down, he saw dragon skeletons. Thousands of them, all gnawing on the thick spires, biting into it as if it were a delicious meal. "Do not mind them. We could not meet you in any place but the Land of the Broken." Said the green dragon. It's face was shred to pieces, only thin stitches holding it together.
A shimmering rumble passed through the land. The purple figure grimaced. It's eyes were concealed by a blind fold much like Starflight's. It's body was lean and long, and it's muscles tense and nervous. " Another disruption. This is the tenth this week. We must be quick." It said, grabbing Starflight's shoulders.
"Read the ivory scroll, you'll find it in your top shelf." It said, before it's sad expression brightened up a bit. " You're getting close to the truth. I'm proud to be your-" It was cut off as another rumble quaked through the dream. The rest of the night was dreamless.
---
Starflight sat up straight, a bead of sweat coming down his forehead. Top shelf. Was the dream real? He was about to find out. Creeping out of bed, the morning rays beginning to come up, he made his way to the top shelf of his scroll-rack. And indeed, there was an ivory scroll, one he had never seen before. A thick black silk wrap, with a emerald in the middle, was unraveled, letting the scroll go loose.
Upon looking at it, Starflight realized his troubles might be a bigger than he thought.
== Chapter 3: The Talking Scroll ==
Starflight opened the scroll, a blinding light passing through his bandages. All of a sudden, everything became clearer, and he could see. Well, not quite see, but something was different. In the eternal blackness, there were auras, spirits dancing before the dark void, as if he could see from his world into the next. The scroll radiated with an energy that seemed to beam the words directly into his mind.
In the beginning, there was the genderless, ethereal being known as Ani. It was pure creation, and it's very existence created Null, pure destruction. Every time Ani would create, Null would destroy, and there was nothing but balance. Until, one day, Ani created an original idea, surpassing pure creation, and created the being of earth, Terrius. 
When Null came to destroy Terrius as it had everything else, it was blocked by Ani. Unable to defeat each other, it was a pure stalemate. The balance broken, as Terrius created land in the vast nothing, inspired Null. Null made chaos instead of destruction, warping and tarnishing what Terrius made until there was nothing of worth left to work with. Ani couldn't stand it anymore.
A fight broke out, and both Ani and Null died. Of course, being forces in and of themselves, they couldn't truly die. No, they both split into the many gods that inhabit the lands to this day. But I'm sure you want to know about Tsunami and your friends. Their fates, to keep the balance of Ani and Null.
Starflight recoiled for a second. Did the scroll know he was reading it? Peeking over again, he contuined reading. The scroll's aura glowed a piercing gold, and he could almost see what it was talking about, although Null and Ani's appearance were bright black and white lights, their bodies abstract and formless. They were incompressible.
Tsunami's host was the Sea-Queen, Tideral, who killed her mad and destructive father, the Storm King, to become queen of the seas and water. She died protecting Terrius when Null's gods tried to kill him, to restore destruction. Tsunami killed Gill, and I see she would have become queen one day if another hadn't killed her.
Clay is Terrius himself.. I'd rather not tell you what will happen to him... It's for your own good, Mirsoth. I'll tell you that everything has an end eventually, and his... will be slow and painful for all. I am knowledge and know all, yet even in this emotionless vessel I dare not tell you.
Vessel? Clay dying or something? This all made no sense, although something itching in the back of his brain urged him to find out later.
Glory is Soul. He was the first god (besides Ani and Null) to be killed. He was killed by Scor, who believed Soul to be the herald of Null, and Soul was revived by the mighty force of Ani, making him king of both the living and the dead. I see Glory is the queen of two tribes, at least for now. Glory is destined to be murdered, and perhaps that is why Scor's vessel is after her again.
Ah ha, so vessels were whatever bodies the gods were in now. 
Indeed. Do you want me to contuine onto Sunny?
Alright. Starflight thought, gazing at the scroll. This was odd, staring and communicating at a scroll almost as if it were a person. Glory would think he had completely bonkers if she saw him doing this.
Sunny is the bringer of dawn and dusk, Evern. She has come from the moon god's tears and the sun god's wrath, their heritages giving her a lesser power, but a greater beauty. Her skies are short, yet they bring much joy, and Sunny herself will die peacefully, given her death isn't.. hastened.
That sounds good. Who am I?
You are Mirsoth, god of justice. You are the god of Justice, who had his eyes gouged out by Scor, who once realizing what he had done, tore out the eyes of justice to make sure nobody saw his crime-
Scor didn't sound very nice. Did he kill Tsunami?
...
Did he?
Yes, he did. I can only tell you that Scor is a mixed bag. He is the bringer of vengeance and fire, his rage keeping the balance alive. But he is... misguided quite often. Such is what he did with the Sea-Queen and what he now wants to do to Soul. Ahem, Tsunami and Glory.
Where is him or his vessel thingy or whatever?
He is at the left talon of the Jade Mountain, the sharp mountain to the left of the Jade Mountain from the north.
Ok.
But.. before you go, you can invoke your god for help whenever you want. Just call their name, and you will feel your true self awaken for just a brief moment. Use their power, but beware.
You are not fighting among dragons now. You are fighting among gods.
== Chapter 4: Vengeance Means Death ==
Starflight closed the scroll, and soon, darkness clouded over what he could barely see, leaving only faint outlines around the scroll and passing dragons. As long as you hold onto me, you see what I see. The scroll said. I am Mirsoth's gift to you, use me wisely, for if I were destroyed, his bond to you would be severed, and your soul possibly along with it. Starflight nodded, and the scroll was silent.
He had to find Glory, and stop Scor. Stepping out of his hut, hastening the scroll to a leather belt he found in the hut he was in and slinging it over his shoulder. Rainwings and Nightwings milled about their everyday lives, and Starflight saw their auras. Light greens, dark blues, shades of red and orange. Shifting much like a Rainwing's scales, the little spots glowing where the dragon was. It wasn't much, but it did help avoid collisions.
Starflight knocked on Glory's door, and a deep pit formed in his throat as he saw Glory's Aura. An imposing dragon, much like the green figure in his dreams, stared directly at him, it's skull-like face narrowing when it saw the scroll. "What's the matter?" Said Glory, in her usual grumpy way. "You look like you saw a ghost. And what's with that scroll over your shoulder?"
"Umph, no I'm ok." Starflight didn't want Glory figuring out he had been messing around with the supernatural. "Listen, I figured out where the killer might be." He said. The figure grinned, before tugging at it's long cloak.
"Great! How did you figure it out?" She said, looking over that the scroll. Starflight shrugged, only a little bead of sweat rolling off his brow. "There were only a few places he could be. I think he's on the left talon of the Jade Mountain from the north."
"Great. I'll be coming in there with some soldiers, and he'll feel my talons on his pathetic face." She said. "I'll meet you at the edge of the rainforest tomorrow." The aura-figure's grin spread even wider, and it walked back into the house. He heard a door shut, and a lock slide. Then another. Just to be safe.
The next day...
Starflight's eyes slowly opened, yet underneath the thick blindfold he always wore it didn't matter much. He ate a measly breakfast of a single cherry-red fruit, and proceeded to fly to the edge, fastening the scroll again to the belt. His entire body was coated in cold sweat, as if he knew something bad would come of this. Flying over the many trees, their smooth touch scrapping against his rough scales, he finally made it to the edge.
Glory was there, along with five other dragons. Deathbringer, Clay, two Nightwing soldiers and some random Rainwing who he hadn't met before. Most likely another soldier. "Starflight, you showed up!" Said Clay, smiling. A blood-coloured giant stood before Starflight through the eyes of the scroll, sturdy and ready to fight.
Maybe it was better not to see things through the scroll. No, keep me, please. It said. You'll be able to see Scorn's magic before it hits you. Starflight shivered. Magic is only complicated science. Complicated DEADLY science.
They took flight, and as they grew closer to the Jade Mountain, the pit grew bigger. They were supposed to be at the Rainwing Kingdom, hiding from this thing. Why were they going right into it's talons. This isn't right, this thing is dangerous. Clay over, and nudged Starflight. "Are you ok?" He said.
Starflight nodded, but he didn't really mean it. Nothing was ok right now. There were gods flying right beside him, flying right into a slaying murderous god's den, and everybody was acting like this was normal. Like as if they were simply killing a petty murderer, as if this was just to avenge another. Maybe he was thinking too hard.
A den, with magma dripping at the edges, pooling into corrosive, fizzling pools, black rocks scattered around the den, was what they found. "Ok, we're here. Everybody stay close together and find the killer." Said Glory, her mouth semi-open, dripping with venom. The group entered into the cavern's maw, and saw various chains, spikes and weapons laid about the room.
A fiery chain whipped out of the cavern, the devious trap aimed right at the heart of one of the Nightwing soldiers. Starflight saw a burst of red energy, and pushed the guard out of the way. "What-" Said the guard, right before a burning, spiky chain wiz right over his underbelly. "This is a suicide mission, looking at how well trapped thi-" One of the spears darted down from it's rack, impaling the Nightwing.
"RUN!" Yelled the Rainwing, darting for the exit, his aura a blinding yellow. The den's maw shut while the Rainwing ran through, cutting him in half, his blood splattering to the floor. Deathbringer hissed, dodging a falling rock. Clay felt sick, seeing the soldiers die. "You monster, come out!" He said.
The chains whipped at him, but simply bounced off his heat-resistant hide, leaving only a dull sting. Angrily, Clay stomped his claws, and a sudden burst of rocks came from the ground, flinging the weapons away. "Good job, Clay." Said Glory, noting the broken weapons. Clay was confused. He was never strong enough to break rock, but just for that second..
Deathbringer blushed a little bit, a bit jealous Clay had gotten the compliment. He quickly made his way deeper into the cavern, seeing various blue scales in jars, a mysterious white glowing liquid preserving them. "I think we're in the right place." Deathbringer reached out to grab one, but as soon as he did, a fiery roar shook ground.
A rumble went through the cavern, as a fissure opened in the ground, swallowing up one of the soldiers, making it's way to Glory. Deathbringer quickly pushed her out of the way, leaving himself vunearable, but the fissure stopped just short of swallowing him too. A dragon wearing a long flame-resistant cloak emerged, swiftly knocking aside Deathbringer into the side of the cavern with an unstoppable force.
Deathbringer was knocked out, a steady stream of blood curling down his skull and onto the ground. Starflight could see a terrifying creature, observing them like a judge, it's long talons pressed together. It glanced at Glory, and a long grin crept across it's face.
"So, you have come. It is time to restore the balance."
== Chapter 5: Death's Door ==
Cloak flew to the ground, letting his wings expand to full length, it's dark red membrane, almost like dried blood, rippling in a sudden gust that started. Starflight could see the dark red soul release it's fingers from their interlocked state, the long talons almost ready to attack.
"What do you mean!? Why are you doing this?" Said Clay, the spines on his back prickling. Cloak snorted, a puff of smoke curling it's way up into the cavern roof. Glory stared at him with a look that could kill, a hiss forming in her throat.
"I suppose you would not know, maybe you should ask Blind One over there." Said Cloak. The looming spirit over him turning towards Starflight. Scared, Starflight yelped, dropping the scroll. Instantly, the spirit disappeared from sight, but he could feel a warm touch reaching for the scroll. Remembering the scroll's words, Starflight picked it up quickly, his tail lashing as he brought it in close to himself. "Get away!" Said Starflight.
In that moment, he realized that Glory and Clay were staring. " Listen, I don't have time to explain, let's jus-" A fireball interrupted him, landing by his talons. The flames were unearthly, moving towards him like a burning snake. What was this dragon?
"Stay there, nobody gets hurt as long as you stay perfectly still. Maybe except for you, Glory." Said Cloak. He considered that possibility that the one who knows might also be a threat, but Glory is trapped here anyways. The flames rotated around Starflight, leaping at his talons when he tried to take a step. "Don't move, don't speak." Hissed Cloak.
"You should be dead. You should've been dead a long, long time ago." Said Cloak. A ripple passed through the cavern, from a portal in the fissure. "In your absence, the Land of The Dead is deterioting, and the Temple of Ani and Null is breaking! Shame!"
"Ani? Null? You are insane! GET AWAY!" Hiss Glory, shooting a ray of corrosive acid at Cloak's face. Trying to dodge the attack with a rapid turn in mid-air, the venom instead landed on his wings. Glory was prepared for an ear-splitting screech, but only a drained hiss leaked out of his maw. It was odd, to see his face contorted in such pain, yet his mind reacted like nothing had happened.
Clay, realizing that something bad was going to go down, charged toward Cloak. A chain wraggled itself around his legs, making him trip. The giant Mudwing was reduced to almost helplessness as more chains tied him up.
Cloak leapt at Glory, flaming hot rocks launching at her, yet they all seemed to miss. Glory raked Cloak's shoulder, and got ready to nape his neck for the kill. Just then, his long talons cut her soft underbelly, forcing her to back away in pain. Starflight panicked, hyperventilating. Say your true name, Starflight. Echoed the scroll.
"Mirsoth." Whispered Starflight. All of a sudden, everything became clear. He could see emotions flutter across the souls like the scales of a Rainwing. The cavern was shown in a rough blue light. And the sudden strength, not physical strength though, a sort of psychic power. With one push in the air, Cloak was sent tumbling into a wall, rocks falling over him, painful grunts sounding in the rubble.
Was he actually hurt by that? Just as suddenly as the power came, it drained away, leaving Starflight's face pale, a stream of pure white glowing blood seeping out of his maw. A hellish growl came from the rumble. "ENOUGH! SCOR, GIVE ME YOUR MIGHT AND FLAMES!" Yelled Cloak, a blazing heat cloaking him. For a brief time, his earthly body gained the aspects of Scor, his talons lengthening and his scales blazing over with a fiery orange-red.
A gust burst out of him, removing the rocks and exposing Cloak's body. The rocks had done some damage to him, the same glowing blood pouring out of his talons, head and wings. A raging inferno coated the ground, flames rapidly spreading around, aided by the winds. Starflight yelped, but saw an exit. The den's maw, made of thinner and weaker rock, was turned into magma by the fire. With no time to think, he flew into the exit.
The blazing inferno consumed Glory's scales like a hungry serpent, searing pain making it's way through her body. A hissing voice beamed at the back of the mind, the voice of her devious killer. You were foolish to try hiding at all. Now sleep, and the balance will be restored. This madman wouldn't be the end of her. Glory let out a strained hiss, the flames searing half of her face to bone, flesh exposed. It glowed a bright white, as if it were not dragon-flesh, but something else. A powerful thump began in her heart, a hollowing roar of pain. Suddenly, she saw a dark brown shape burst his way through the flames.
"Clay.. Help-"
She collapsed, a single last thump in her body.
----
== Chapter 6: The Left Side ==
They had finally returned to the Rainwing Kingdom. It was not a joyous flight, and with every beat of his wings, Starflight wondered if there was some way he could have saved her life. He could have picked up the weapons and impaled Cloak with them. He could have thrown him into the fissure. But what was done was done, and now, the Rainwing Queen laid dead in Clay's talons.
Deathbringer, although he had suffered a traumatic head-strike, was indeed alive. Starflight dread what would happen when he would wake up to find Glory was dead. Casting aside the thought, Starflight's black talons gripped the wild grass. The Rainwings had no Queen now. What was to happen to their tribe? Perhaps Grandeur would reclaim her place, but then who would be able to control the Nightwings? Certainly not her.
Letting out a mournful grunt, he dragged Deathbringer into the healer's hut. Clay brought Glory into the hut. " Clay, she's dead." Said Starflight, snorting a little puff of smoke. He didn't want to look at the body. Seeing the charred remains, Glory's half-skull face caught in an endless scream, his friend dead...
"No, she can't be." Said Clay, his eyes stained with tears. " She's alive.. she's not dead.." His talons were clenched in a tight fist, his head hanging low. His stuttering growls awoke Deathbringer. The black dragon clutched his head, feeling an egg-size lump.
"Where is Glory!? What happened!?" Shouted Deathbringer, confused and lost.
Starflight approached slowly, and spoke low and deep. "She's dead."
"What! NO! I should have been there- I- Where?" Said Deathbringer, both a tear and a bead of sweat forming. He quickly dashed over to the body, running his talons over her burnt hide. "NO! HE DID THIS!? Impossible- I'm - I'm sorry..." He said, hugging the body, clutching it tightly to himself.
A tear slid down his face and onto her body. A howling wind began to blow inside the hut, yet Deathbringer kept her closely. Her talon twitched. The skeletal claws began rustling as a flash of green energy passed through them. Dark clouds swirled around the hut. Yet he kept her close. "Deathbringer?" Asked Starflight, watching the clouds envelop Glory's body.
Another twitch, and a rustle. Glory's arm reached back up, and hugged him back. The clouds let out a roaring thunder, the green energy turning Glory's blood to a similar green. The clouds wrapped around them even more, and obscured all view of them. Her scales burst into a dark green color, and her frills puffed out, flashing a lovely purple. Her head rose to meet his..
And they kissed.
It was brief, and the clouds cleared. Glory smiled, and Deathbringer did to. For that brief moment, nothing mattered, even as one of them was perhaps undead. A bright green flame lit in Glory's skull, on the left side which was skull. "You're alive!" Shouted Deathbringer, hugging her again. The smile on Glory's face was bigger than any smile Starflight had ever seen her do.
It was only brief, as a flurry of concern soon overtook the young queen. "What happened? I-I thought I was dead." She said. " Is this some sort of after-life dream? Why do I hear voices in my head?" Starflight gave a puzzled look. Voices?
"I don't know how you're back, you were dead.. and then there was a storm." Said Starflight. " Did you say voices?" He said, his wings pulling up.
" Yes, it tells me I was sent back like it once was." Said Glory. " So I am really back?"
Clay smiled. " I suppose so." He said, his face a mess of tears and a half-hearted worried smile on his face. "What if that dragon comes back for you?"
"The voices tells me.. We'll be prepared." Said Glory. Starflight could see the figure had almost become imbued with Glory. The skeletal side of her glowed with the same vigor as Soul, and she seemed... Odder. Somehow. Glory began to walk out of the room, when she stopped.
Glory caught a reflection of herself in the hut's window. "What am I?" She said, grimly, raising a bony talon to the window, staring at the unfamiliarly skeletal left side of her face. I don't know.
== Chapter 7: Ice Crypt Cavern ==
Cloak sat in his cavern, watching a dagger float between each of his claws. Scor's power faded out for a brief moment, and instantly, he could feel everything. The burning sensation is his wings, the ebony blood bursting from his shoulder. He couldn't help but let out a fiery screech. In response, a copper-brown Skywing came out from the back of the cave. " Are you ok?" She said, her head cocked to one side.
Cloak put the dagger down. He needed to conserve his power to prevent that from ever happening again. Pain. "I'm fine, Trailblazer." He said, the ridges of spikes on his face drooping down slightly. "If you didn't want to see pain, you never should have worshipped Scor and his loyal vessel."
Trailblazer sat there for a moment. "Ok. I'm sorry. Is the heretic god's vessel slain?" She said, tugging at the grey cloak she wore. The Scorists, devout worshippers of Scor, always wore a grey cloak to symbolize the release of vengeance and the preservation of a just and fair world. Not too light, not too dark, was Scor's job.
"Yes." Said Cloak. "You will stay here for now though. The Scorists do not need to know of my killings. Now go away." His talons gripped the solid earth. He couldn't admit shame to killing a dragonet, but for Scor and the universe's sake. Yet something felt wrong here.
Trailblazer left, her wings swiftly carrying her to the deeper parts of the cavern. He was alone now. As alone as he could be with a god in his head, and two below. The ground beneath his feet was the Ice Crypt cavern, and perhaps the reason why Pyrrhia's dragons look so much like the gods do, dragonic and all.
Cloak. Said a deep, resonating voice in his head. He could feel the warm touch of Scor on his shoulder. Cloak bared his fangs. "Yes?"
She's alive again. The voice hissed. Ani revived her. Cloak's eyebrow lifted, and the zombie-like dragon's talon twitched. Ani? That's impossible! "B-but how!? Ani is dead, frozen and buried!" Said Cloak, his talons raking the ground as he got up.
It isn't dead. It was never dead. Said the voice. Now go KILL the dragonet. Before Ani and Null are released and DESTROY balance. Cloak's ears lifted under his grey hood. His spiky wings brushed the ground, and he felt Scor's long talons follow them, cutting a hole to the Ice Crypt Cavern.
WHERE ARE YOU GOING?! The voice said, deeper and now with a slight echo. "I will see Ani and Null. If they are merely frozen, what would happen if they thawed?" The ground started burning-hot, as all things burned out by Scor did, but soon it succumbed to the cold of the cavern.
At the bottom, a beautiful white quartz chamber held a mighty glacier of ice. One side appeared to glow with a divine light, and held a figure within it too bright for even a vessel's eye to see. On the other, a gaping hole swallowing all light, leaving the creature inside a mystery. But Cloak was sure it was Null's dead body, from which Scor sprang from.
If Null, my ancestor, were released, the end of all would come, as I know too many gods eager to join back with it to end reality. Destructive gods, not reasoning like us. If Ani was to be released, it would surely absorb me back into it's being, and reality would become a similar, repeating pattern, never changing. Ani prefers strict order. Said Scor. SO DESTROY HER, DESTROY ANI'S FOUL HEIR! THAT FOOL LOVES SOUL AND HIS VESSELS, BUT ANI WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I DO FOR IT!
== Chapter 8: Return to Death ==
That night was harsh. The winds were high, and the air smelled like thick smoke.
----
Glory didn't sleep well that night. She didn't sleep well many nights, but this one was particularly bad. She was standing on a bright green chunk of stone, in the Rainwing Kingdom. At least one hundred Rainwings were all looking up at her, observing carefully, judging her.
The ground shook, and suddenly she was underground, the roof filled with glowing fungus, like stars in a sky. A hundred dragons were still looking at her, but they were all skeletons, all dead. "The temple." Said one, pointing to a giant stone temple imbedded with white diamonds and emeralds.
Flashes of light came from within it, and a voice rang in her head: Return to the Land of the Dead. Reunite with me, Soul. Rule as Lord of Life and Death forevermore. A wispy white serpent appeared, long whiskers of pure light delicately flowing. It's eyes were an emerald green much like the temple.
The skeletons hissed and growled, as a dark shape appeared from the temple. It's long hooked talons grasped the serpent, which writhed in it's grasps, it's body freezing over. AWAKE AND RETURN!
----
Glory roared as she leapt up from her slumber, her fiery eye being alit. "It wants us to return. We need to return to the Land of the Dead." Said the voice she heard earlier. A mental image of it was in her mind. It was tall, dark green figure, wearing a white cloak. It's eyes were alit like hers, but it was much, much brighter.
"We'll have to travel the Broken Lands to get there. We travel alone and fast." Said the voice. Glory hissed at the voice, this little thing that followed her every move. It seemed to be a part of her now. But she knew what it spoke was truth, she could sense it. That didn't mean she agreed with it. "The Broken Lands can be accessed by only a god or a vessel, using my powers."
"No, I'm not going alone." She said. "If last time taught me anything, it's that I should bring my friends."
"Nonsense, it's too dangerous for them!" Said the voice, this time hasty and deep. It sounded like venom curled off of every word it said.
"Soul, stop." Said Glory. The serpent must have been talking to this dragon in her dream. Ever since Starflight told her about "vessels" and that kind of stuff, she knew she must have had one.
A dread hiss boiled in her mind. "Sorry." It said reluctantly. It was not happy to admit defeat or even compromise.
"Now let's get my friends together." Said Glory. She pulled up a black cloak over herself, letting her colors shift between deathly pale and a sickly green. That was one of the only ways the could be for long now.
At Glory's Den...
"How do you even know this will work?" Said Starflight, gazing at the many materials that Glory had gathered around. Some incense, some candles and a small sliver of Glory's skull bone.
"Soul told me so." Said Glory. "And I gathered you all here so we can go to the Land of the Dead." She was certain this would work, as Soul's flames grew bright inside her.
"Ok, so, what happens now then?" Said Sunny. She was extremely curious, poking around with the fancy herbs and candles. "Will we see Tsunami?"
Glory hadn't though about that. "Maybe. Let's try it out and see!" She said, closing her eyes. The candles lit aflame without anybody touching them. The herbs let out a sweet, soft smell, that enhanced her senses.
A shining light came from Glory, as she said: "Soul." Instantly, the dragonets could see through her skin, into the skeleton of a god, spiked and ridged and beautiful in it's light green/blue colors. Glory felt a rush of power, her claws able to tear life and death. She took the sliver of bone, and cut open a rift between this life and the next.
Welcome to the Broken Lands. The land between life, and death.
== Chapter 9: The Broken Lands ==
Spiraling pieces of land, drifting around a massive vortex, hundreds of souls all funneling towards the middle at the bottom of the vast spinning plains. Giant cracks in the land revealed it's true nature as a place between life and death, as various blood-red serpents boring through the Lands to get to the afterlife.
"Breakers." Said Soul, in Glory's voice. "Stay away from them, if you fall by their teeth you may stay stuck in here forever." Soul glanced up at the vortex of souls in the Broken Lands. "These serpents will never reach the Afterlife, and unfortunately, so do many weak souls. But I trust you."
Upon the finish of that sentence, Glory gasped for air. You know, I'd think I'd like you more if you would stop trying to take over my mind.
"Anyways, just follow me." Said Glory, flying down to a lower piece of land. The epicenter of the vortex came into view, glimmering and shaking as it absorbed more and more souls.
"I don't like this place." Said Sunny, shivering as a cold wind shook her still living body. The Lands pulsed with a vile energy, like a heart beating.
"Me neither, this seems like a trap." Said Starflight. His soul-vision was overwhelmed by hundreds of souls, and the center of the Lands stuck out like a blinding sun.
"Look, there's the center! Let me just- WOAH!" Said Clay, one of his talons slipping over the edge as a piece of land broke off. The cold piece of stony land broke off, falling into the disgusting green center. He felt something whistle behind him. "GUYS!?"
A Breaker, it's fangs long and searing red, pierced into Clay's hide, and began to drain his soul. Clay began to glow a bright orange, and he let out a screech of pure pain. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGCCCHHH! Something huge became visible, writhing in pain as the Breaker latched onto it.
"Let go of him!" Yelled Sunny, smacking the Breaker with her tail. A bright flash of a golden energy pulsed the Breaker away. Clay dropped to the ground, injured and shocked. The red serpentine creature hissed, slithering towards Sunny.
Starflight snapped his talons in sudden realization. Now that we're in a realm ruled by Gods, our powers have increased! He sent a shimmering bolt of purple energy at the Breaker, piercing it. It fell off the edge, and as it hit the green vortex of souls, it dissipated, unable to enter the Afterlife.
"Glory, do something, I think Clay is dying!" Sunny was right. Clay's breaths seemed to be slowing, his body alternating between very hot and very cold. Every few seconds, a bright amber aura would shimmer around him.
Glory, you have my powers, heal him. Said Soul, his voice rushed and angry. His hatred for Breakers filled Glory with a similar anger. She tried to heal him, but a bright green fire stung him instead. Calm down Glory, calm down. Sunny bit her talons, and Starflight paced back and forth. "My dumb powers aren't working, ugh!"
You can do it... Glory let everything loose, let herself feel happy for the first time in over 3 months. She was alive, and she would see Tsunami again, everything is alright. With that, she touched Clay gently.
It worked, his body's temperature evening out, and his soul being re-absorbed into his body. A bright green light wrapped around him and faded, healing the wounds in his soul caused by the Breaker.
Everything was alright again, and it seemed that their piece of rock was getting closer to the Gateway to the Afterlife.
"Are you ready?" Said Glory, and Clay gave a weak nod.
== Chapter 10:L̪̯̳͘i̶̭̪f̯̻̙͈͇́è͕͕͙̥̯̯͍̥-̶͇̟̦L̴͏̣͎͕͇̼̹̕ͅí̵̮̼̫̪͙̻̫̥͉n̖̳̰̣͚̣̯̗̤e̢̛͙̣ ==
At last, the group had made it's way to the Afterlife. But it was not at all like what she had seen in her dream. Dragons, their bodies whole and complete, gazed in marvel at exotic plant-life and pastel-colored crystals. The dark waters with willows of the bone-white afterlife she saw had been transformed into crystal-clear waters with glorious jungle-trees. A long white serpent curled itself along a temple.
Sunny smiled. "Let's go find Tsunami!" She said. Clay in turn had a sudden realization of this and couldn't help but agree. " That sounds like a great idea."
Something feels wrong...
Glory heart, though one slightly dead and rotten now, skipped a beat in it's constant thrumming of energy. Indeed, in the afterlife, a wispy white serpent did stand, in waiting perhaps. But everything around it felt wrong. The afterlife felt too alive. It felt too safe.
"Hey, Starflight, I'll keep an eye on green-eyes over here, you go with the others." Said Glory. She was unworthy to see Tsunami again. Not after failing to protect her. Not after failing to protect herself even. She couldn't let the group down again. She had to keep watch, she had to do something.
Starflight followed the rest of the group to a clear pond, white sands on a blue lake. A familiar blue-scaled dragon swam through the waters. Starflight could feel his own soul light up like a candle upon seeing her, a sigh of relief or perhaps happiness.
"Tsunami?!" Said Sunny. The figure stopped, and splashed onto the shore, shaking herself out as a dog might while flapping her wings.
"You're all here!?" Said Tsunami with just as much surprise, but with fear in her voice. "You didn't DIE, did you?"
"No, um, everybody but Glory is alive as far as I can see. And even Glory isn't exactly... dead." Said Clay, looking around. Several other Seawings splashed about in the waters. One of Tsunami's ears pulled back.
"It's a long story." Said Starflight, nervously itching at his neck.
"Well, we literally have all the time in the world." Said Tsunami. As far as she was aware, nobody grew old in the afterlife. They just kinda, lost bits and pieces over time, but never really died. Tsunami never felt that though, she never had a patch of scales randomly fall off, and she's never had a tooth never regrow.
So, Starflight opened his mouth, and Tsunami was prepared for a full-on lecture about whatever this was. It was good to have things back to normal.
----
"But things can never be that easy!" Hissed Cloak, to a titanic two-headed skeleton dragon. In The Broken Lands, that brutish beast blocked his way.
"You do not decide the rules, Cloak. You are not Scor, you hold no power over me." Said the skeletal beast. Only letting the four dragonets and gods through was his order. Didn't say nothing about vessels.
"No power then?" Cloak smiled. "I suppose a lesson is in order!" A spiraling gust of fire slid painlessly over the skeletal beast's bones, not even charring them. No, the impact was much deeper than that. The beast screeched a horrid symphony of pain, it's four eyes screaming in agony.
"Soulfire...?" Said the skeletal dragon, clutching it's chest, seeming to be reaching at nothing. "But that belongs to..."
"Null." Said Cloak, his smile widening. His scales reflected emptiness, and inside his fangs were only a spark of fire.
"You're the v-vessel of Scor though.." Said the two-headed beast, though one of it's heads had ceased to function as it's soul scattered into a million pieces.
"Null has decided to help me and Scor settle the balance. I'll be the new god of Life and Death, Scor my comrade and Null lord of the Afterlife. Then, we will decide which souls are WORTHY of my Afterlife. Destiny will be our code, and justice will be given. Ani and Null will love me again! Now first, let's judge your sins."
A hellish blaze of Soulfire surrounded the guardian. The two-headed beast's soul had been destroyed, as the Soulfire licked it up like some delicacy. Ani will see our new powers. Null will admire our power.
Mother and Father, they can be one in existance again.
----
"Oh my gosh, is she ok!?" Said Tsunami, her tail thrashing. This "Cloak" guy had something coming if he just thought he could kill her friends like that.
"She's fine no-" Starflight bit his tongue when he realized may have just cursed his own words, as a hissing roar rang through the underworld. The unmistakable roar of Glory, loud, proud and indeed rather glorious to behold in it's rage-filled glory.
Then, there was silence, as the dragonets rushed to see what had happened. But they did not see a battle nor a dead body, but a glorious white serpent. The serpent was frozen in the grasp of something, unable to move.
And a titanic bony grey-scaled leviathan, covered in a pale cloak. A bright green light nestled firmly in it's exposed skeletal chest, and a smaller, green-blue soul was ran like veins through it's body. It was the figure from Starflight's dream.
It was Soul. And Glory was controlling the god's power.
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