Niyx

by Samantha Kroese

  Raijin’s strange light magic bounced off of Ice as if it was nothing more than mere candlelight. The Templar turned and ran when the giant dragon tried to snatch him up in its powerful jaws.

  At the ruckus Ice was making Onyx noticed the battle. He finally ran up. “Niyx!” He bent to help Niyx up from the floor. “What happened?”

  “It was a trap. Raijin attacked me,” Niyx glared down the hallway but he could not even see the retreating knight past the massive lizard in front of them.

  “Ice is making a lot of noise. It’s hard to hear him over the crowd and music in the main hall but he’s shaking the entire building. Get him to stop,” Onyx demanded.

  Ice did stop, raising his large head in perfect silence, his focus intent on the hall that led toward the basement. Niyx paused as well, straining to hear whatever the dragon had heard. The plaintive cry of a tortured creature reached him.

  Ice snorted frost then let out an angry roar and lurched down the hallway, knocking over walls and crushing the floor beneath him.

  “Where’s he going?” Onyx asked, startled. “Niyx! They’re going to hear him!”

  With the King and Raijin forgotten, Niyx’s only answer was to break into a run to follow the dragon. He knew what sort of creature had made that call, and he had to answer. Dragons were his weakness. Niyx vaguely heard Onyx curse behind them and tell-tale thuds that might have been guards or servants that had come to investigate the noise. He decided not to worry about it. Onyx was an assassin he could take care of them.

  Ice cleared the way and broke down the door to what looked to be a laboratory. There, hanging suspended from terrible machines, his body covered in chains and wounds, was a small green dragon whelpling. It cried pitifully for help when it saw Ice. Ice roared, raising to his hind legs and throwing out his arms, wings, and head to break everything in sight.

  “Ice!” Niyx warned as he dodged falling debris to run between the dragon’s legs and into the laboratory. Without hesitation he ran forward. He disintegrated the locks on the chains with his hoarfrost and tore them away from the whelp before the deadly ice could spread and harm the dragon. “Be still, little one. We will free you.”

  “Niyx! You can’t just let it go. You don’t know why they have it here. What if it tries to kill us?” Onyx warned as he looked around Ice’s massive leg.

  Niyx grunted as he released the last chain and the tiny green dragon fell into his arms. It curled up against his chest, mewling pitifully and trying to hide. Niyx shifted his arm to cradle it as best he could, then he whirled around to look at Onyx, his magic bleeding off him to cover the room in snow and ice. “What sort of horrible creature enslaves a dragon?” Niyx demanded, waving his sword around to indicate the laboratory around them. “They were experimenting on it. Taking its magic and power. An innocent baby dragon. I don’t need to know why. I know all I need to know.”

  Onyx slipped on ice that raced past his feet into the house. “Niyx. What are you doing?”

  “Get out of this house. Now. Quickly,” Niyx commanded as he stalked past Onyx and back into the hallway. He no longer cared to play games with the elves. They had proven they were no better than monsters in his eyes. “GO!” he roared when his brother didn’t move.

  Onyx jumped into action, too startled to argue, and ran to the nearest window and climbed through it to escape.

  Ice roared and surged into a destructive rampage in the laboratory, destroying everything in sight. Niyx let the dragon work out its frustrations as he calmly walked through the halls of the house. Wherever he went winter consumed. Ice and snow covered the floors, walls. The party was so loud no one had apparently heard the commotion they had made. When he finally came across the living his hoarfrost destroyed them, leaving nothing but bones. People tried to flee. He blew the doors shut with a gust of winter wind, trapping them inside. Every person unlucky enough to be left in the house was slain by his hoarfrost.

  Then, when nothing remained but a devastated manor covered in snow and ice, Niyx stalked out into the yard. He mounted Ice and the massive dragon roared and rose into the sky, out of range of Aderaan’s archers long before they came running to assist.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Onyx hurried back to the Den as quickly as he could. He scowled and had to watch his step as he entered the tunnels. Hurrying down the halls of the underground lair was no longer possible. The floors were slick with ice and snow piled along the walls. Lazy snowflakes drifted through the air and a chill wind gusted through periodically. Was this what happened when his twin was angry? How had Niyx gained the power to control winter like this? Could he stop it? Onyx hoped that it was just that Niyx didn’t want to.

  He made his way to the throne room to find Niyx sitting with a similar scowl on his face. Icicles and frost traced their way across Niyx’s dark armor and his black blade like cobwebs. The air was decidedly colder in here. Onyx could see his breath, and he shivered a little in his leather armor. “Niyx, what did you do? The entire city of Aderaan is up in arms now.”

  Niyx tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne, an unmistakably displeased look on his face. “The dragons are the key to everything. When I touched the little one it showed me Aderaan fuels its magic by stealing it from captive dragons. Raijin’s light magic is woven with it. That is why it is tainted and I am vulnerable to it. It is how the elves learned to make Starsilver weapons. That is why Ice is one of the few left in the world. Most of the others are held captive in the city. Is it true Ruel also has dragon magic?”

  Onyx flattened his long ears. How had Niyx found out about that? He knew it would do no good to deny the truth. “Rubei’s father had made a pact with a skeletal dragon for power, yes. I saw it come out of the ground when it granted Ruel its magic. But that’s different; they made a bloodline bargain with that dragon.” Onyx furrowed his brow. Niyx had seemed so emotionless until he saw the dragon. “Why do you care so much?”

  Ice crawled down from the top of the throne to sit on Niyx’s shoulder and Niyx raised a hand to stroke the dragon’s chin. Niyx let out a displeased hiss, baring his fangs. “I am bonded to Ice. I found him in a trap when I was young.” Niyx rose and stalked past Onyx. “It is easier to show you.”

  Onyx raised a brow but followed Niyx carefully through the halls. In one of the large rooms, the Night Creatures were busy at work constructing wooden nesting boxes full of straw. Large boxes. Dragon nests, Onyx realized. In one of the first, the tiny green whelping that Niyx had rescued lay curled, sleeping in a bed of warm straw. Kiril sat cross-legged next to it with both hands gently on its back, her eyes closed. Her eyes flew open at their approach, and she frowned at them.

  Niyx nodded to her, then motioned Onyx forward. “Go. Rest your hand upon the dragon’s head. Gently. It is still injured.”

  Onyx gave Niyx a wary look, but walked forward to obey. He reached his hand toward the whelp. He didn’t even have to touch it. The memories of torture and pain hit him with such force he fell to his knees, clutching at the edge of the nesting box to stay upright, his breath stolen from him. When he recovered, the tiny whelping was staring at him with glowing eyes and he could see the intelligence within their depths. This was a creature that was wise beyond understanding. It was tied to the beginnings of their world and the continued life on the planet. Onyx shuddered as he staggered to his feet and backed away, horrified. “What? Why would they enslave something like that? How?”

  “The dragons are the guardians of our world. It is their wisdom and magic that fuels everything. Life itself. It is a great power. The elves of Aderaan lust for power and use whatever powerful creature they can for their own devices,” Kiril spat, her eyes narrowed as she stroked the whelp’s wings comfortingly.

  Niyx turned to Onyx, crossing his arms. “I need you to find out if every powerful house has a dragon fueling it. I need to know how many dragons there are that need to be saved.”

  Onyx ran a hand through his own hair nervously. “I don’t know how much I can find out
now, Niyx. The city is in an uproar. The Templars are patrolling everywhere.”

  “You are resourceful. I have faith in you.” Niyx turned and left without another word.

  Onyx growled softly, but the sting of the dragon’s memories haunted him all the way back to Aderaan. When he reached Ruel’s manor, he sought out his younger brother.

  Ruel stood looking out one of the windows of his estate. The frozen manor could barely be seen in the distance. It looked like it was made of ice and now there were rumors that hoarfrost was slowly spreading from it. The Templars were busy running to and fro like ants, to contain the magic. “Niyx is angry, isn’t he?” Ruel mused as he turned to Onyx.

  “Very angry,” Onyx agreed as he stood next to Ruel. “He’s on a mission now to save all the dragons in Aderaan. He wants me to find out which houses have them.”

  “I know which houses have them!” Ruel said after a moment, his voice excited. He hurried away from the window to the desk and grabbed paper and a quill and started writing names. He chattered on as he wrote, “House Hrral’tyn is bloodline bound to the dead dragon because it was formed long after the other dragons were enslaved. Rhyhar found out that the remains of a fallen dragon were beneath this manor and he granted the dragon a blood pact in the name of vengeance.” Ruel barely took a breath as he wrote and continued, “Once all the races of Dakaal lived together in harmony. Then the great world war happened and split the races into sides to battle large forces of darkness. The elves joined forces with the dragons and saved the world from complete destruction. The King and the rulers of the ancient noble Houses liked the power the dragons had granted them too much, though. When the war was over they enslaved the dragons.”

  “That’s horrible,” Onyx growled, clenching his fists. He leaned over the desk to watch the list of names grow. He knew most of those Houses. Only one of them surprised him. When Ruel stopped writing, Onyx immediately snatched the paper and folded it before he tucked it away in a pocket hidden in his armor. “Thanks, Ruel. Do me a favor and stay in the manor until this is sorted out.”

  “Will we be safe, Onyx?” Ruel called after him.

  “As long as you stay here!” Onyx called back but kept walking to his bed chambers. Once there he climbed out the window and onto the roof, leaping from one building to another. House R’trayn being on that list surprised him. It was time to have another chat with Lord Isakael.

  Onyx entered the manor easily enough since he still had free access to it. But as he searched the normal spots for Isakael, he couldn’t find the Lord. Perhaps Isakael was out on business? Or watching the drama unfold in the city?

  Onyx decided to look around then. Isakael’s servants had been ordered to ignore him and he passed them without any acknowledgment of his presence. Most noble manors in Aderaan were built with nearly identical floor plans, especially the older Houses. He hurried down into the basement.

  He came to a stop just outside a glowing metal door. The powerful magic emanating from it caused his Night Creature magic to sting like insects beneath his skin, and he backed away from the door with a hiss. A powerful spell, too powerful to be enslaving just a tiny whelpling. The only full-grown living dragon he had ever seen was Ice. He braced himself and crept closer to peer through the barred window at the top of the door.

  He heard and felt the attack from behind just before it connected. He managed to duck under the attack and whirled, daggers drawn and in one smooth motion brought up to form an x-shape, protecting himself and trapping the much larger broadsword inches away from his face.

  Callistra’s eyes burned with rage and her arms shook with the weight of the sword and the force she was putting into trying to drive it into his face. “I’ve had quite enough of you, Lord Onyx.”

  Onyx snarled and bared his fangs at her, before summoning his Night Creature magic. He released the sword, used his heightened speed to dive out of its way, and then shoved her. She fell hard against the wall and slid to the floor, her armor clanging as it struck the stone floor. He whipped around and instead of attacking her, he used all his strength to bring his weapons down on the chains holding the door closed. The chains snapped and swung violently as he threw all his weight into opening the door. The metal screeched as the heavy door swung open.

  The colossal dragon chained to the machines in this laboratory was no whelpling. It was a dull copper color with large intelligent eyes that were bigger than he was tall. Onyx snarled at the suffering he found there, and driven much like Niyx had been, he set to attacking with reckless abandon the chains and machines hooked to the dragon.

  Callistra tackled him with an enraged cry, tumbling him to the floor. They struggled for dominance, rolling over and over each other, slamming into machines that were bleeding magic into the air around them. “What are you doing?” Callistra demanded, breathless, as they fought. “You can’t let the dragon loose! It’s here for a reason! Are you mad?”

  “It’s here because they’re feeding off its magic!” Onyx threw her off and scrambled away, backing up so he was in front of the large dragon’s snout that was chained to the floor.

  “Because it’s evil and deserves to be here!” Callistra snarled as she charged at him.

  “You’re wrong,” Onyx muttered. He sidestepped her and grabbed her wrist and squeezed so hard she dropped her sword with a yelp, then he whipped her hand around to touch the dragon’s snout.

  She jerked in place as though electrified when she touched the dragon’s scales. Then she stood completely still, barely breathing as she stared into the giant eyes before her. She stood there so long that Onyx thought perhaps she’d been entranced by the dragon’s magic. Then tears streamed down her face and she yanked her hand back. With a horrified cry, she picked up her sword and started to cut the dragon free. “Help me!” she demanded, glaring at Onyx when he continued staring at her.

  Onyx helped cut the dragon loose. It was a massive beast, even larger than Ice at full size. How had they gotten this beast in here in the first place?

  A shot rang out and the bullet whizzed past Onyx’s ear before it buried itself in the wall. He whirled around with a warning hiss, fangs bared and daggers now facing the door.

  “Stop. Come out of there. That’s not a request. I will shoot you. Both of you.” Isakael stood at the door with a pistol in each hand, both aimed directly at them.

  “What?” Callistra said, her voice trembling with shock. “Step-father, you don’t understand. Touch the dragon. This is a horrible mistake!”

  “I do understand. You do not. Come out of there, Callistra. Please don’t make me hurt you,” Isakael pleaded. “The dragon has entranced you, that is all. Trust me. It is a deceitful creature.”

  “You’re wrong. It’s the elves that are deceitful. Our people used these creatures to save our world, then enslaved them!” Onyx spat as he edged closer. “Now you idiots are bleeding the world dry through them for your own selfish gains.”

  “I warned you to stay out of this, my friend,” Isakael said, sounding remorseful. “You should’ve stuck to bedding and killing women.”

  Isakael fired. Onyx dodged, too fast for even a bullet to land. He dove out of the path of the projectile then leapt forward. His daggers found their mark and sank deep into Isakael’s chest. With a bloody gurgle the Lord fell limp, dead almost instantly.

  Callistra shrieked in horror. Onyx ignored her and left the body behind as he returned to trying to free the dragon. “We have to get the dragon loose. Help me or get out of my way!” he growled. Part of him regretted killing Isakael. He had genuinely liked the man, but Isakael had made his choice when he threatened them.

  Callistra regained control of her emotions. With tears in her eyes, she gritted her teeth, and started chopping away at chains and tubes once more. As the final shackle fell free, the dragon heaved to its feet with a roar that shook the entire building, raining dust and debris from the ceiling. Giant wings spread to shield Onyx and Callistra. As the dragon rose to its full height, the ma
nor fell around it like a house made of matchsticks.

  Onyx grabbed onto the scales of the dragon’s enormous leg and climbed up onto its back. “I know somewhere safe for you if you can fly,” he told the dragon its giant head turned to study him. It unfurled its immense wings, flattening the rest of the building. Callistra scrambled up to sit behind Onyx. Then with a mighty leap the dragon was airborne and leaving Aderaan far behind. They made it back to the tunnels safely and swiftly. Onyx and Callistra slid off of the dragon’s back just before it shimmered and shrunk down to whelping size.

  Onyx took a step back in shock when he landed face to face with Callistra. To his surprise, the now tiny and exhausted dragon chose the woman’s arms to collapse into, curling against her chest.

  Callistra shivered in the cool night air as she stared at him. “I guess I’m staying with you. I’m a criminal in Aderaan for helping you.” Then she shifted the dragon to one arm and punched Onyx hard in the shoulder. “You killed Isakael!”

  Onyx grunted and rubbed his offended shoulder as he turned toward the tunnels. “He was going to shoot both of us. He made his choice. You made yours. The dragon has made its choice. It is what it is.”

  Callistra hugged the dragon close, her eyes full of tears again, but her expression determined. “Where are we?”

  “My domain,” Niyx’s cold voice announced as he and Kiril emerged from the tunnel entrance. His icy gaze swept to Onyx with disapproval. “You brought her here?”

  “It’s a long story,” Onyx said. He was tired and he wanted out of the forest, even though the tunnels weren’t any warmer. “She helped free the dragon. It likes her. It might be hurt. We should get it inside with the other one.”

  Niyx growled, but he stepped aside so Onyx could lead Callistra down to the dragon roost. Niyx and Kiril followed silently. It took some convincing to finally get Callistra to leave the dragon in the warm bed of straw to rest.