by Sariah Skye
“It's more than that. Yes, I care about Gabriel. I am attracted to him. But this—” I motioned between us, “—was so much more than that.”
He frowned gently. “I'm not sure what else would remain.”
I groaned softly. “Yeah. Me either.” I opened my hand and looked at the ring once again. I stretched out my right hand and placed the ring over my right ring finger and held it out in front of me. “There. That will work for now.”
He raised his eyes. “What did you do?”
“I'm still wearing it—just not on the totally correct finger.” I peered at it thoughtfully. “What happens to it if I shift?”
Maxxus grinned. “It should just shift with you.”
“Sweet!”
He laughed and leaned in, offering me a kiss on the cheek. “We should probably get this over with.”
“Ugh. Fine.” I was having a much better time here in Maxxus' quarters, living in fear of being found at any time.
He glanced out the window at the sky. It was lightening slightly, indicating that sunrise would be soon. “It's still early; there shouldn't be anyone out anymore, but we should still use the glamour anyway.”
“Right.” I threw up the disguise and followed Maxxus out of the room and down the hallway. This time it was empty and we encountered no one until we arrived at a set of large iron doors, heavily bolstered with sliding locks.
“After you,” I said, motioning to him. Maxxus waved his hand, separating the locks and pushed open the doors telekinetically. Since the doors were made of metal and steel, manipulating them was no problem.
A low voice muttered from inside the room weakly. I exchanged a look with Maxxus, and summoned an orb of light in my palm and held it out in front of me. The room was dark, with one torch in embers along the far wall. Maxxus drew his sword and I followed, taking the dagger in my hand—shuddering lightly feeling that power rush it gave me—and holding it out in front of me. We stood back to back to each other, slowly walking around to inspect our surroundings.
It was a training room all right; just like Nicodemus had showed me in the “dream”. Racks of swords and spiked maces were spaced all around the perimeter of the walls; boards with knives and throwing stars pegged to them and several wooden chairs for spectators dotted here and there. There were no mats for safety—it took a lot more than a slam against the hard dirt ground to hurt a dragon, even in human form. I noticed the room was large enough for a handful of dragons to spar in their forms, even.
“See anything?” Maxxus inquired, eyes vigilant and never wavering.
“Nope. Aside from that large door over there, there isn't anything of interest here.” I faced towards another iron door on the opposite wall. It didn't appear to be locked; there was no bolt.
“Where does that go?” I asked, pointing my light at it.
“That's the dungeon. When dragon's squabble—they go down there for however long. What better place to put fighting dragons than in a place that's constantly surrounded and guarded by guardians, eh?” Maxxus responded. “If Nicodemus is here—that's where he'll be.”
“Fuck,” I muttered angrily under my breath. “What's it like down there?”
Maxxus turned to me and winced. “Cold. Dank. Vermin-ridden. Not a nice place.”
“Spiders?” Yes, I was a dragon, but I despised spiders.
He raised a brow, slightly smirking out the corner of his mouth. “You're scared of spiders?”
I glared. “You judging me?”
He snickered. “Put that away. The dagger. Keep your light. I won't let the big bad spideys hurt you,” he mocked.
I sheathed my dagger, but stuck my tongue out at him tauntingly. “Ass.” He clutched my hand and pulled me close to him, sword still drawn and held outward in his other hand. Together we walked hesitantly to the jail/dungeon door.
“Can you toss that in here? I know there's stairs here, but I can’t gauge how steep.”
“Yeah.” I shoved the magic in the doorway and it illuminated a steep stone stairway that dropped off only a couple of steps past the door.
“That's what I thought.” The magic fizzled out, not being controlled any longer, and I summoned another orb in my hand and held it in front of us. We trudged precariously down the steep, winding stone staircase. It was perfectly dark, lit only by my magic. Several torches dotted the wall. Their flames smothered out from the dripping moisture that became more abundant as we neared the bottom.
We heard a desperate moan and Maxxus jutted out his arm, holding me from walking any further as we stood completely still.
“The fuck was that?” I whispered, swallowing nervously, barely audible.
“A prisoner.”
“What sort of prisoner?” I questioned, my voice squeaking.
“Shadow or a regular brawler, I can't tell.” Maxxus nodded his head and we continued walking, a bit slower. “Make sure that glamour is still up. Usually there are guards at the bottom of the stairs.”
I nodded slightly, though he probably couldn't see me. I blinked my eyes once, making sure my magic was in place before we continued.
We reached the end of the stairway and there was a slight hallway leading towards a gaping entry. Maxxus raised his sword and dropped my hand. I took that to mean I was supposed to grab my dagger. It still did not feel entirely comfortable with it, but I suppose it was better than not having it.
There was no sign of any guards, but it was pitch black. I tossed my light orb into the entryway. Briefly illuminated were the chains hanging from the walls, barred celled entries and a large, silver heap on the hard, stone floor.
I gasped. “Grandfather?
A groan came from the heap, followed by several more voices. The heap turned its head and I immediately recognized the bright blue eyes and telltale white beard—yes, even in dragon form—of my grandfather.
“Leorah?” He craned his dragon head in my direction. “Don't come near!”
Maxxus tried to pull me back, but it was futile. I shoved the dagger at my hip and ran in, uncaring what else was in there.
“Leo—” Maxxus was hot on my heels.
“Grandfather! Are you okay?” I gasped. Kneeling beside him I saw the ropes and vines of Shadow tendrils slithering over him. I growled, and held out my hands, willing a blast of light magic to come out of them. “Get off!”
He winced slightly as the magic shot at them. The tendrils went scrambling off him, screeching off towards the opposite end of the room.
My grandfather lifted his head slightly. Maxxus clambered beside him, and we helped him to his stomach. Dragons’ skin normally felt a little cool, but Grandfather felt like downright ice at the moment. He shivered some as we touched him. “Leo... you really should leave.”
Maxxus let out a low whistle. “Um... Leo. Give us some light, please.”
“Huh? Why?” I was more worried about my grandfather than seeing what was in the room.
“No, don't. Just leave. I'll be fine, please—”
“Don't be silly, we're not just going to leave you here, I don't care if Nico—” I began, but Maxxus grasped my arm tightly and pointed.
“No, seriously. Light.” He said insistently. I sighed and summoned a ball of light in my hands and tossed it up in the air, willing it to hover over us. I was thankful that unlike the dream, I had full access of my magic here. And what I saw was rather... horrifying.
My heart leaped into my throat and I struggled to breathe. Feeling momentarily faint, I felt my ankles go out from under me. Maxxus was right there, grabbing my arms and helped me kneel fully on the hard, cold, misty floors. “How... how many are there?” I asked in a small, timid voice as I scanned the room. It seemed to go on forever and no less than about twenty dragons lay in heaps on the ground, chained up by their human arms on cell walls, all of them moaning, groaning or crying in despair.
“Too many,” Maxxus said, hushed.
“We gotta do something,” I said. I leaned over my grandfather and stroked his
cold, scaly cheek lightly. “Are you going to be okay?” I asked him.
His eye opened slightly and he barely let out a groan. “Trap.”
“We know,” Maxxus said, holding is sword in front of him. “We're ready.”
My grandfather just whimpered slightly.
While the room wasn't entirely encompassed in Shadows, there were no less than about fifty disgusting, creepy, shrieking tendrils skulking about, leaving a trail of what I could only describe as Shadow mist behind them. Almost like smoke, but... it was cold and black.
I sighed, looking down at my grandfather. I saw no obvious signs of distress, no apparent injuries nor even any Shadow possession, yet he was writhing around like he was in serious pain. “What is wrong with him?” I asked, looking up at Maxxus, concerned and bewildered.
Maxxus hesitated to give way from his watch, but slowly kneeled with his sword raised in the air. He patted my grandfather on his side gently. “What's wrong, Aleron?”
My grandfather simply groaned. I felt around his exposed flesh for something—anything—but could find nothing.
“Try your magic... maybe you can sense something?” Maxxus suggested, ever vigilant. He stood back up and continued to watch over us.
“But—” I remembered the time I sensed Kiarra's feelings that one time. I hadn't thought to do it since, but perhaps now that I was stronger I could sense a little bit more than just hunches.
I closed my eyes, hovering my palms over my grandfather. I pulled the magic from deep inside me and felt my hands warm slightly as I glided them slowly over my grandfather's troubled body.
At first I felt nothing unusual. But after a time, I opened my eyes to see the magic from my hands with its slight pink hue, mixing with a sort of black aura I now could see was emanating off him. I gasped.
“What?” Maxxus asked, looking down momentarily. He winced slightly. “What is that?”
“I'm... not sure. But I wonder if this is what it looked like to Gabriel when Kit was possessed with the Shadows before?” I mused out loud. Damn. I wished he was here right now to confirm.
“Leo...” my grandfather groaned.
“Don't worry,” I said. “I'm going to fix this.”
I pulled more magic from deep inside and felt my hands nearly burn; the light turning a bright pink as I shot it into him, hoping the infusion of pure light would help purge him from the Shadow shit inside of him.
My grandfather cried out in pain, and grimaced. “I'm sorry!” I said and I almost ceased my healing, but, the more magic I poured into him, the more I could see the dark Shadows glow from his body and disperse. So, I closed my eyes and struggled to find more inside me. My body tensed and my heart raced and I could feel the stinging stab in my heart of the magic as it reached uncomfortable portions. I think I heard Maxxus call out to me, but sounds were barely audible as the magic screeched in my ears—screaming at me that it was probably too much. A pulling sensation at my back indicated that my wings were struggling to escape and I willed them free; when I did the stinging pain inside seemed to subside.
I dared to open my eyes seeing my grandfather, floating slightly in the air, a cloud of pink light lifting him off the ground. Still, I poured more magic in. I watched as my grandfather's head tossed back as I slammed one final blast of my magic into him.
We heard a loud crack as the Shadows inside him were thrust out forcibly. The darkness floated in the air briefly before spilling to the ground and forming the slimy tendrils I was now associating with the Shadows.
I hadn't realized that I was screaming, piercingly. My grandfather shifted to his human form in the air, the robes tied to his neck, barely covering all the strategic points as he collapsed to the ground in a heap. I was thrust backward as the magic gave one final expulsion, but I was prevented from skidding across the floor by a strong, rock-hard form behind me. Maxxus. Instead, I fell to the floor with a thud—apparently, I'd been floating too.
“Holy shit!” Maxxus cried, his sword dropping on the ground with a cacophonous metal clank as he rushed to my side.
My head felt heavy as I attempted to look up at him. His handsome face was blurry as I tried to focus on him, my eyes slipping, trying to roll back in my head.
A slap on my cheek. Something cold on my lips. I could barely make out two forms in front of me as something trickled down my throat. I hadn't noticed how freezing cold I'd been feeling until the liquid trickled down my throat; warm like coffee but not nearly as tasty.
“Leo!”
My eyes struggled to open and I found myself in a pile in Maxxus' lap as he poured a potion into my mouth. My grandfather peered over me with concern, his long beard tickling my cheek. I giggled slightly and he smirked, tossing it over his shoulder.
“You're okay,” I said in a small voice, as his clear eyes came into view. I looked down, and saw his own healing magic pouring from his hands into my chest.
“As are you, I hope.” I felt my strength return as Maxxus helped me into a sitting position.
“Did I pass out?” I questioned, feeling a pang of guilt at the worry lines furrowing his forehead and around his eyes.
He smiled gently, stroking a cheek lightly. “Only for a brief moment as the magic stopped.”
“That was... amazing.” My grandfather spoke, reaching out to gingerly touch the side of one of my wings. I had barely felt them anymore. “How—how is this possible?” he asked in astonishment.
I shrugged. “They seem to like to come out when I do a lot of magic.”
“Finnian thinks they help make her stronger,” Maxxus spoke for me.
“Finnian?” Grandfather asked quizzically, but we had no time to explain. More groans and moans sounded from nearby and we remembered where we were: the dungeon basement of the guard barracks.
“Nicodemus.” I shot upwards. Maxxus helped steady me as a brief wave of nausea came over me but it quickly passed. He held out his hand and we watched the sword float upwards from its place on the floor and into his hand.
“What?” I chuckled incredulously, and he winked.
My grandfather just grinned. “Wow, who are you two? Where'd all this come from?”
I shrugged. “Just a little somethin'-somethin' to help kick some Shadow ass, that's all.”
Suddenly he was all seriousness again. “You guys need to leave. You can't be here. I was captured to lure you here. I don't know what he's doing, but—”
“I figured as much, but we can't just leave all them here,” I said, nodding towards the dragons listless in various positions in the room.
“I will get healers here to help them, but you have to leave!” My grandfather insisted. “I don't know what he has planned for you—for all of you—but it's not good, I promise!”
“What's to stop him from coming after you again?” Maxxus protested, shaking his head. “No, we will make our stand here. We will capture him and bring him back to—” I shushed him, not wanting him to say Castle Danger aloud. Maxxus clamped his mouth shut.
“But you—” Grandfather protested, but he was interrupted by the sound of a deafening, booming thunderclap.
Maxxus thrust out an arm and nudged me backwards, but I pushed him away. I fought the urge to glare at him because we were knocked flat on our asses once more as an invisible source came from nowhere and socked us in our guts.
“Fuck! I'm really getting sick of that!” I pulled myself out of a tangled heap from my grandfather and Maxxus and drew my dagger. I felt that rush of power and poked it into the air in front of me. Maxxus helped my grandfather to his feet and we pushed him in back of us, weapons drawn, and magic summoned in our free hands.
In the dark we barely made out the outline of... something. I flung the magic in front of us to see better.
Maxxus growled deeply from next to me. “Nicodemus.”
Nicodemus' form stepped out of the Shadows, grinning widely. “How nice of you to join us!”
“What the hell are you doing!?” I demanded, summoning up anothe
r light orb and let it float in my palm.
Nicodemus snickered. He was wearing all black in his human form. He was normally tall, olive skinned, with nearly black eyes anyways, but outlined in Shadow he was more intimidating than normal. Of course, he didn't intimidate me…
Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that, Leo.
“I'm just helping everyone see things my way.” Nicodemus raised his robed arm and flung a large black mass towards the nearest heap on the ground. It was in human form—I think it was a female, but its red robes were covering up most of its head. From the screams, it was hard to discern either; they were guttural and panicked.
“Stop!” I shrieked at him, summoning a light ball in my hand. My grandfather from behind me slammed his own magic in and it grew dramatically before I tossed it at Nicodemus.
It pounded him square in the chest and he was flung backward, effectively breaking his magic hold on the poor dragon on the ground. She—could tell it was a she, now—let out one last pained scream before subsiding.
Maxxus charged him with his sword. I tried to grab for him, but he was faster, angrier. He was little more than a flash before he perched himself over the top of him, pressing the length of his sword towards his throat. His voice was low as he spoke. “You bastard. What are you doing here? Why are you after us?”
His cackle was strangled, but still just as chilling. “Do you really have to ask? I know about her magic. About your magic. How coincidental it was you banded together with that sorcerer? Your... skills would be indispensable to us!”
I joined Maxxus at his side, pointing my own dagger towards Nicodemus. “To who?”
“The Shadows, of course. But you already knew that,” he said, glaring at me narrowly.
“But why?” my grandfather from behind me spoke with desperation in his tone. “You were a good, respected member of the Court. You could have had a strong position with us after awhile—why risk all that to side with this... evil?”
Nicodemus squirmed underneath Maxxus' hold, but didn't waver in his glower. He laughed bitterly and tried to speak once again, but Maxxus pushed his sword tighter into his throat and he gasped. “The Court is nothing. They have no real power.”