Children of Darkness: Ch 22

What should not have happened…


The hospital of Warfang castle was almost filled to the limit as more and more wounded came in from the battle. The cries of agony from stonars, cheetahs, moles and dragons alike echoed in the massive hall even as many others tried to help them the best they could.

Fliera was one of the persons helping out. Though she had wanted to fight in the battle, she had recognized that her considerable medical skill could be put to better use here. And in some ways it was fine too, because like this she could also keep an eye on her mate.

Fliera glanced towards Coldalar who lay in one of the beds near the door. He was sleeping peacefully now, but just a few hours before he had been awake for a few minutes. It was clear that he was in improvement, but it had also taken heavy toll on his body and it was still unclear when he would truly be back on his feet.

Fliera suddenly noticed something. Even as she watched Coldalar a cheetah in a long cloak with a hood and carrying a staff with a blue crystal on top walked over to him. As she watched he stretched his arm forward and placed it on Coldalar´s forehead.

"What are you doing?" called Fliera even as she started walking quickly towards the cheetah.

The cheetah did not answer, but simply looked at her with a smile the only thing visible beneath his hood. A bright blue flash of light then emanated from the blue crystal and when Fliera could see again the cheetah was gone.

Fliera looked around for him and noticed that no one else had reacted to the blue light, as if she was the only one who had seen it. But what followed as she walked over to Coldalar was even more surprising.

The moment she approached Coldalar´s eyes flung open and he half jumped, half fell out of the bed.

Fliera let out a surprised yell and hurried over to him. "Lay still my love, you should not move around so suddenly" she said gently even as she pondered what had happened.

Coldalar did not seem to listen to her as he slowly rose to his feet, his legs shaking under him. "Where is Zera?" he asked and his eyes showed a desperation and fear which gripped Fliera before she even answered.

At the same time Vynin was fighting hard against Meltor and the two other dragons. Though both she and Jacira had done their utmost to try and bring down one or more of them to even out the odds, Meltor and the two dragons had protected each other well and Vynin had not been able to hit any of them.

Now Vynin was slowly feeling fatigue set in and she started fighting more defensively hoping to conserve what was left of her strength. But even now her three acid snakes were starting move slower and large drops of acid were sliding of their body.

Meltor and the two dragons had also noticed this as they started pressing their attacks against Vynin bombarding her more frequently with elemental attacks of their own, while also staying well away from Jacira or Vynin´s snakes.  

Though the acid covering Vynin´s body was protecting her for the moment, it was still draining her strength with every hit it absorbed.

Suddenly all three of the enemies attacked weaving around Vynin´s snakes as they dived towards her.

Jacira eagerly flew forward with her spear raised high, but Meltor was aware of her and with a quick and powerful burst of wind her knocked her flying away even as they continued towards Vynin.

Vynin directed the snakes near to coil around her in a protective shield even as she braced herself for the attack which would hit soon.

The first thing Vynin heard was a crackling sound and she felt a cold emanating from the acid snakes surrounding her. Taking a quick decision she repulsed the acid with all her might.

The effect was immediate as the force of the repulsed acid shattered the part of the snake which had been frozen and sent dozens of jagged ice shards flying in all directions. Vynin could not avoid smiling a bit as she saw the ice shards strike Meltor as well as the blue dragon who was shielding the yellow dragoness.

But she did not have time to smile for long as Meltor continued towards her despite obvious pain showing on his face. He opened his mouth and a moment later Vynin was hit by a powerful gale which knocked her backwards and she slid several meters across the ground.

Before she had time to recover her footing the air crackled with electricity as icicle struck close past her. Vynin was just about to strike back towards Meltor when a yell from Jacira drew her attention.

"Above you, Vynin!"

Vynin glanced upwards for just a second and saw the yellow dragoness spread her wings wide as lightning could be seen jumping across the tips before forming eight lightning bolts which struck down towards Vynin.

Vynin braced herself fro the impact and though her acid took the damage the force of lightning bolts the bright light blinded her for a moment and when she could see again Meltor was standing before her flames flowing from his open mouth.

Vynin raised a barrier of acid just in the last second and a moment later she sent it flying back towards Meltor with all the force she could muster.

It was frozen midair by the blue dragon and Meltor shattered it with a quick wind blast, but before anyone could act again a blast of ice struck Meltor from the front freezing his  legs to the ground and closing his mouth with shackles of ice. An arrow also struck close to the base of his right wing.

At that very moment two mighty roars rose above the sounds of battle as Gairu and Tehanu dived towards the trapped Meltor. The yellow dragoness and the blue dragon immediately jumped to defend Meltor.

With their elemental attacks they forced Gairu and Tehanu and veer off and instead land in front of Vynin where Sceranu had also landed. Hunter immediately jumped of Gairu´s back and ran over to Vynin.

"You okay?" he asked quickly.

"A bit tired, but else I am fine" answered Vynin quickly.

Hunter smiled for a bit and then turned around towards Meltor instead his face becoming serious as he drew new arrow from his quiver.

"You just stay back, Vynin. We will handle this" said Sceranu even as he eyed Meltor with a cold glance.

Vynin walked up next to him. "I am not so tired that I can't fight" she said as she barred her teeth.

Jacira also flew up next to her. "Yeah we are not finished with that bastard yet!" exclaimed Jacira.

The blue dragon and the yellow dragoness had both placed themselves defensively in front of Meltor. Suddenly however there hissing sound as the ice on Meltor´s head was engulfed in flames and quickly melted.

"Stand back Lith´iru and Frigitor, I will deal with this!" said Meltor menacingly and without warning his entire body was engulfed in flames. Lith´iru and Frigitor quickly retreated behind him.

A powerful wind pulling Vynin and the other´s towards Meltor with incredible force. The dragons were forced to grab on to the ground below them to avoid sliding forward. Likewise Jacira and Hunter also had to grab hold of Vynin and Sceranu respectively to avoid pulled in.

And then the flames surged forward towards them like a veritable wall of fire.

In Vynin´s own house flames were also burning, but these were dark flames as black as the night themselves and they were raging around the body of the dragonling Gravi. His eyes were pressed together in fear as strange sensations were washing through him. A tiny tear pressed its way out between his eyelids before he collapsed on the ground and the flames disappeared.

"What did you do to him?!" exclaimed Kali looking straight at Tironar who was standing over Gravi. She was holding her son Hawk in one arm, his hands clutching her tightly as he buried his face in her loose shirt. She was holding a sharp dagger in her other hand with more strapped to a belt on the wall near her. Two daggers lay on the floor near Tironar, Kali´s unsuccesful attempts at stopping Tironar.

Kali´s eyes were firm yet also fearful even as she watched the Earth Guardian. "What was it you made him drink!"

"Only what was needed for the good of everyone" replied Tironar coldly, meeting the cheetahs gaze without flinching. "Now I will take him to the castle so he can do what he was meant to do."

Kali raised her arm and in a sudden motion she let the dagger fly with such force that it appeared to blur in the air.

The dagger imbedded itself in Tironar´s shoulder making her stagger for just a minute. "You won't touch him!" snarled Kali as she took another dagger from the belt on the wall.

Tironar turned her gaze towards Kali again and it was almost icy in its coldness. "I do not wish to hurt you or your child, but I will not let you stand in the way of this! One more throw and I cannot guarantee your safety!"

"Is this what the great Earth Guardian has been reduced to threats and deceptions?!" exclaimed kali not lowering her arm, but not throwing either.

"I am doing this because I have too, not because I want too!" yelled Tironar, but she quickly relaxed into her cold emotionless expression. "Why can no one see that sometimes sacrifices must be made?"

Before Kali could reply, the door was flung open and Ghronur jumped in. He quickly looked around the large central room of the house.

In small niche he could see Kali standing protectively in front of her child Hawk with her dagger drawn. She was looking directly at Tironar who stood only a few meters from her near the center of the room. Tironar did not even seem to notice Ghronur as he entered as she just stood with her back turned.

"Tironar!" roared Ghronur even as he walked forward towards her. His every step caused small cracks to appear in the floor beneath him.

Tironar only slowly turned around to face him, meeting his eyes with a completely calm gaze.

"Where is Gravi?!" snarled Ghronur his teeth showing in threatening grimace.  
Tironar stepped aside without uttering a word or even changing her stone cold expression.

As Tironar stepped aside Ghronur´s eyes fell upon a small black dragonling lying on the floor behind her. Next to him stood an empty bottle as well as bowel which yet contained a small bit of a blue liquid. He was too late.

"Gravi!" exclaimed Ghronur as he jumped forward and lowered his head to the small dragonling. Gravi did not move and his eyes were closed, but as he got closer Ghronur could hear him breathing and he sighed with relief. But he also saw the blue liquid.

"Is he okay?" asked Kali and Ghronur looked towards her. She had put away her dagger and was holding Hawk in her arms. Ghronur slowly nodded.

"Off course he is alive. Vynin too consumed the potion without any danger to her life and Blazirin had confirmed it was not directly dangerous" said Tironar calmly, speaking for the first time since he got there. "He is simply passed out while his new power settles in is my guess."

"Your guess?!" roared Ghronur turning towards his sister. Every part of his body was shaking with anger, anger both at his sister, but also at himself for not preventing this from happening. "Do you realize what you have done!"

"I have given us the means to release the purple dragon and save countless lives, what is wrong with that?" said Tironar calmly.

Tironar was flung against the wall as the floor suddenly heaved up beneath her. Before she even got up, powerful bonds of stone emerged from the wall and floor holding her in place.

But she did not offer any resistance either and she looked up at her brother who was shaking with rage.

"I do not know you anymore, my sister" said Ghronur slowly as he walked towards her. "You were once gentle and easy going, you were always ready to defend those in need. But you changed, you became bitter and cold, but even so you always held the protection of other´s above all else."

Ghronur´s voice was shaking as he stopped before his sister. "But now I don't recognize you anymore. You have willingly doomed a child to a fate he has no say in…I cannot forgive you for that, even as your bother I cannot."

Ghronur turned his eyes away. Tear were flowing from them and his claws were digging into the floor beneath him creating large scratches.

"I do not like what I have done, do not mistake that. But it had to be done" said Tironar, her expression softening and her voice becoming somewhat gentler. "And I do not seek forgiveness or mercy, not even from you. I only ask that you understand why I did it."

"But I cannot do that!" said Ghronur with a desperate look. "You are asking me to understand why you hurt my daughters child. You hurt your own family no matter if you deny it or not, that is what you have done. I can't understand or forgive that."

"What is done is done, brother and I will face the consequences of my actions in due time and without resisting. But for now we must bring him to the castle" said Tironar calmly.

"Indeed and you must and you must do so fast!"

Tironar, Ghronur and Kali all looked upwards and saw the Observer standing up on the second level of the house. "If you don't hurry everything that has happened could be for naught!"

The Observer disappeared before they could say anything leaving them back to wonder.

Even as this exchange was taking place something else was happening at Warfang castle, in Spyro and Cynder´s room. Carx, Larshyr and Zera were all looking towards the middle of the room where a series of heavy blows had created large cracks in the floor of the room.

A moment later a shadowy mist seeped through the cracks and a moment later Demetrius took his physical shape in the middle of the room and turned his gaze towards Larshyr, Carx and Zera.

"Long time no see, young ones" he said with cold smile.