by Dreagen
“Would you be prepared to believe the truth if we told you?” VayRonx asked. RemoKy gave him a slight nod then turned, disappearing into the forest.
“We should move on,” said TarFor in a hushed tone. “Put some distance between us and this stretch of forest as fast as we can.”
“You don’t trust him?” BaRone asked.
“You know as well as I the nature of his kind. He could very well be the alpha of this area, meaning we’re probably little more than intruders in his territory.”
“Even if that’s true, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to attack a TarBoranx. Especially not an alpha.”
“But what’s to stop him from gathering others of his tribe for an attack against us?” TarFor bellowed.
“Calm yourself,” VyKia shot back.
TarFor looked flustered, tossing his fur back. “I just don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. Not after all that’s happened. To do so would be…well, unnecessary.”
“You’re right,” VayRonx conceded. “I too do not relish the thought of having to contend with an entire tribe of Ridgebacks, let alone anyone else who deems our presence here intrusive.”
“That’s why you asked him to come with us, isn’t it?” NyRo asked.
“It would have been easier to keep any eye on him, but honestly I really did not expect him to agree to it. Still, he did act honorably by delivering the message that our children are indeed alive. He could have simply returned to the confines of his own territory, but instead chose to keep his word. For that I feel he has earned the benefit of a doubt.
The others nodded, before they all resumed their trek through the forest.
Night was now falling on EeNara, and the twin moons shone down brightly on the world below, casting their pale light on the tower as the small SaVarian girl gazed up at them. DiNiya had been walking back forth, to all four corners of the massive platform, peering down below and out to the horizon, looking for some sign of hope. Any sign that someone was coming to rescue her. She had remembered her captor’s words to the others before she was taken: come alone, just the five or else they would kill her. “I wish they had killed me,” she said to herself somberly.
“And why is that, pray tell?” came DayKar’s voice from above.
Startled, DiNiya spun around and saw the immense DraGon perched on the stone altar. I didn’t even hear him, she thought, unnerved that someone so massive could have crept up on her in absolute silence. Regaining her nerve, she replied, “So no one will have to die for me. Better that I had been killed back there so they wouldn’t be endangering their lives trying to save mine.”
“You don’t think you’re worth saving?” he asked curiously.
“I’m just one person, and there are a lot more lives at risk than just mine thanks to you,” she said, giving him a venomous stare.
“Guilty,” he mused.
DiNiya shook her head in disbelief. “Don’t you feel guilty at all? Or feel any remorse for any of the horrible things you’ve done…the people you’ve killed? I mean, you were one of us! You were our friend!”
“I have a better question,” DayKar said, jumping down from his perch. “Why do you hold yourself in such low regard?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters, there’s all this talk of your life not being worth saving. That doesn’t strike me as the kind of attitude held by one who thinks very highly of themselves.”
“Don’t speak to me as if you know me, you monster!” DiNiya cried angrily. “Not after what you’ve done!”
“What I’ve done,” he replied with emphasis, “has no bearing on your current standing with yourself, in your own mind. Your not wanting to be saved has nothing to do with your desire to keep your friends out of harm’s way, nor was it induced by the attack on your home.”
“That’s not true!”
“Rather it stems from something much deeper.”
“Shut up!”
“Something more…selfish.”
“You don’t know anything!”
“Tell me, DiNiya. When was the last time you spoke aloud of…that day?”
The words were like daggers in her mind, cutting all the way through to the very depths of her psyche, where she had locked away the memory.
“How long has it been, five years?”
“Stop,” DiNiya said in a tender voice that now betrayed any illusion of courage she had attempted to put forth.
“That’s a long time to not forgive yourself.”
“Stop it.”
“After all, how could you have known of the power you possessed?”
“Please…stop, no more…”
“The only one left of its kind. Or so you thought.”
“Enough! Why are you doing this to me? What is it you want from me?”
“Just the truth, my dear—just the unabashed truth. Something you have always had difficulty admitting to yourself.”
“Stop calling me a liar, damn it!”
“Well then, stop lying,” he replied with a laugh, treating her like a petulant child. “I don’t see why you’re acting so insulted. I’m the one being treated as if I were a fool.”
“You’re one to talk, KyGahl,” DiNiya countered. “Oh, excuse me, DayKar. All this talk of lying and deception! Who was the one who pretended to be one of us for years? Who claimed love for my tribe and then turned around and tried to murder it?”
The DraGon brought his great head down at eye level with DiNiya and replied, “Who indeed, DiNiya?”
DiNiya found herself unable to speak, as if her own voice had suddenly been plucked from her throat. Satisfied with having bested her in their verbal sparring match, he raised his head back up and let out a deep call, which echoed through the cool night air. Several seconds passed, and PeroDay and VorTak appeared from below the edge, landing on either side of him.
“Yes, brother?” PeroDay spoke.
“Take wing and find the Doom Bringer.” DiNiya’s eye widened with dread.
“Very well,” PeroDay replied with a slight nod. “What are we to do once we’ve located him?”
“See to it that he is properly motivated. As dangerous as it may be, we need to draw as much of that wicked power out of him as possible if our plan is to succeed.”
“As you wish.”
“And take VorTak with you.”
“I’m fine on my own.”
“That wasn’t a request.”
PeroDay glared over at his brother, who simply gave him an insistent look in return before shifting his focus to the smaller DraGon at his side. PeroDay had never cared much for VorTak for reasons that stemmed from the way he had been granted knighthood. Not willing to go against his brother, though, he conceded. “As you command.”
“And what of the others?” VorTak interjected, knowing full well how PeroDay felt about him, and feeling more than a little uneasy at the prospect of being paired with him. “He is no doubt being accompanied by the other AmaRanthine.”
“Kill them,” DayKar said bluntly.
The two spread their wings and took to the air, quickly turning into shrinking, glowing silhouettes against the larger moon’s ring. Forgetting her fear, DiNiya stormed up to DayKar and shouted, “What are you doing? I thought the whole point of this, of capturing me, was to get Rex and the others here without having to fight the rest of the tribe?”
“And you would be very much correct in that thinking,” he replied.
“Then why did you just send those two to kill them?”
“It is Rex I require, not your brother and the others. However, they are a nuisance all the same, one I thought I was rid of long ago.” He seemed to drift off in quiet reflection before shaking his head and bringing himself back to the moment. “In any case, they were too well guarded in KaNar, something I was forced to learn the hard way as you know. So I had LemaRes see to it that they were drawn out into the open with Rex so we could eliminate them without any interference from the others.”
&nb
sp; DiNiya was now overcome by anger, frustration, and fear. She was losing control, and she did not know how to cope with it, or even if she could. What struck her the hardest, though, was the thought of the others meeting a terrible fate at the hands of the two monsters now en route with murderous intent. Once again, she was helpless to aid the people she loved, but worse—now she was helplessly made to watch this nightmare unfold before her by the controlling hand of another, a megalomaniacal DraGon who had once been someone she would have trusted with her life. Should she survive this, trust would be something hard earned by anyone.
“Now, back to the discussion at hand,” DayKar said at last, turning back around and looking at her. “Where were we again? Ahh, yes, that’s right. The topic of murder.”
Night eventually turned into day, which brought with it a chilly morning that had the four DyVorian’s feathers and the ArisToky’s fur fluffed up for warmth as they continued to trek across the great rolling plains. As morning turned into mid-day, LyCora shuddered at the cool afternoon breeze blowing through her dark blue plumage as it cascaded across the plains.
They had been traveling through the open expanse since yesterday, and had only stopped for five hours the night before to sleep before resuming their journey before dawn. Oddly enough, they had yet to resume SaVarian form. LyCora had been pondering why that was; what made this time different from before? It’s better, I suppose, she thought, glancing at the others. We wouldn’t even have any clothes if we did turn back now, since they burned up when we shifted. At least we can pass as DyVorians. All of them except ShinGaru, of course, whose alien form would no doubt prove to be a burden, for no one alive today had ever seen such a creature. There was also the matter of Rex, who while clearly a DyVorian was not of any known species alive today. Furthermore, his red flame would draw unwanted attention. Glancing to her left she looked at AnaSaya, whose small, lean frame bobbed up and down as she walked. She recognized the species as being a DroMevora, a type of fleet-footed predator from the northern portion of the Eastern Continent, and as a result not commonly seen in this part of the world. Looking up to her right, walking next to Rex, was the biggest idiot she knew, EeNox. It had come as a shock to her when she realized that he was a TarBoranx like VayRonx and KyVina. Their kind had always embodied strength and ferocity. They were natural leaders, which is why it came as no surprise to anyone that they had held the role of alpha in KaNar for the last 2,067 years. Strange indeed that such an aloof individual like EeNox would possess the flame of such natural-born leaders. Then again, even she had to acknowledge that he had proven himself reliable in a difficult situation. She had been doing her best to continue telling herself that he was still the same irresponsible fool she had always known him to be, but the truth of it was that she was now beginning to see him in a whole new light. Perhaps the full measure of his character had yet to reveal itself.
“Hey, look,” Rex’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Up ahead, a tree line.”
“It’s the western forest,” EeNox declared. “It’s about time we got here, too.”
“How wide is it?” Rex asked.
“Depends where you cross,” ShinGaru replied. “If we are where I think we are, it shouldn’t be more than three days’ journey, and beyond that we’ll reach the Bloodstone Canyons, and not long after, the tower.”
“Sounds reasonable,” Rex said, picking up the pace.
They traversed the remainder of the plains, leaving another leg of their journey behind them. The western forest was as different from the lowland forest as that was to those of KaNar. The trees were tall, narrow, and teaming with small flying DyVorians and insects, calling and buzzing busily as they flew to and fro.
“Hey, isn’t DonGahl near here?” EeNox asked.
“Yes,” replied ShinGaru. “I thought that’s where we were headed.”
“Is that another town or village?” Rex asked.
“More like an outpost, really,” he replied, catching up with him. “We’re getting close to the MoraDay Tribe’s territory. DonGahl is their outermost settlement.”
“Who’s the alpha of MoraDay?” asked AnaSaya, trying for the life of her to recall the name.
“TorMarr the Barbarian,” replied EeNox in surprise. “Did you seriously not know that?”
“I didn’t,” Rex replied, giving AnaSaya a friendly wink.
“You have an excuse,” LyCora explained, “but no one else should have any reason not to, unless they’ve been living under a rock.”
“Well, I do live underground,” AnaSaya replied thoughtfully, winking playfully back at Rex.
Rex laughed and shook his broad head before turning back to EeNox. “So how did he get a name like the barbarian?”
“From the alpha trials,” EeNox replied before suddenly looking worried. “Has anyone told you about that?”
“DiNiya kind of did,” he said, remembering back to the night atop the mountain overlooking KaNar. “She said it was some sort of series of tests.”
“Pretty close, but it’s a lot more than that. Think of it as an event where the best and the brightest from all over the world come together to display their various strengths and abilities. There are many tests and trials, all of which test their merit as those who will be entrusted with the safety and wellbeing of their respective tribes. There are numerous battle tournaments in the city’s arena. It’s nothing serious, though, just a bit of fun.”
“Sounds like a good time to be had,” Rex replied as his mind drifted to thoughts of tooth and claw, horn and club-tail clashing in epic combat under a thundering and lightning-streaked sky.
“It’s amazing, even if you’re just a spectator,” EeNox went on in reverence. “But if you get chosen to take part in the trials themselves…well, that’s an experience on a whole other level.” He now seemed to daze off like Rex with a similar sense of reverence before resuming his explanation. “Anyway, back to my original point. TorMarr defeated seven opponents in record time during one of the tournaments and made it all the way to the final bout, where he was finally defeated by VayRonx.”
“You mean VayRonx fought in the tournament?”
“Of course. It’s how he proved himself worthy of being called the continent’s apex predator. It was also the same year he ascended to the rank of alpha after his mother stepped down. He’s the greatest warrior in the entire Northern Continent, maybe even the world.”
“So why didn’t he get a fancy title after his name?”
“Because while, yes, he did advance to the finals and ultimately defeat TorMarr,” LyCora explained, “he did not do it as quickly or brutishly. TorMarr got the name for his barbaric nature in combat.”
“I hear he still has never gotten over losing that last fight,” EeNox said. “Word is he’s even demanded an unsanctioned rematch from VayRonx more than once but was turned down every time.”
“That’s strange,” Rex said. “I didn’t think VayRonx was scared of anything, or at least he doesn’t act like he is.”
“I don’t think that’s it. He’s always had his reasons for doing anything he does, so why wouldn’t he have one for what he doesn’t do?”
“Fair enough.”
They continued to move through the forest, taking care to stay out of the way of various herbivores grazing in the underbrush, each one regarding them cautiously. At one point, a large hadrosaur-like DyVorian let out a deep, bleating call, and the entire herd fled.
“Wonder why they’re all so skittish around us?” Rex thought aloud.
“Isn’t it obvious?” ShinGaru said. “We’re all carnivores. Or at least you all are. I’m not quite certain what I am yet.”
“Hmm,” AnaSaya said, stepping close to him and inspecting the dagger-like teeth protruding down from his upper jaw. “Well, these don’t look suitable for gnawing on leaves and branches, so I’d say you’re one of us.”
“You sound so enthusiastic about that,” EeNox mused.
“I’m just happy there are some things h
e can feel we have in common given that he’s…well…you know: different.” Suddenly stricken with guilt for her statement, she quickly tried to retrace her last several verbal steps. “That is to say…I mean…not that you’re not one of us or anything like that…”
“It’s fine, AnaSaya,” ShinGaru said kindly. “I know what you meant, and it is very much appreciated.”
AnaSaya, now feeling terribly ashamed and embarrassed, slunk to the back of the group. Why is it that every time I try to say something nice I end up making a complete fool of myself?
After over two more hours of walking, they could smell a concentration of both DyVorians and SaVarians up ahead.
“Get a whiff of that,” EeNox exclaimed, raising his snout up into the air.
“Yeah, it’s like whatever it is, is right in front of me,” Rex said.
“Must be because we’re DyVorians. All our senses are stronger now.”
“I noticed that too,” AnaSaya chimed in, deciding to forgo the silent routine after all. “The whole world just seems more alive.”
“Rather our ability to sense it has increased,” said ShinGaru. “That many people in one place must mean a settlement.”
“Which means DonGahl, right?” Rex asked.
“That’s right,” replied EeNox.
They proceeded on until they finally reached the edge of the settlement. Huge mounds of dirt and wood had been constructed into elaborate architectural wonders that interlocked between the trees themselves. DyVorians and SaVarians moved from mound to mound, mingling and trading with one another. It was a humble sight compared to KaNar, but to Rex it was wondrous in its own right. Quickly turning to the others, he asked, “So what’s the plan here?”
“What do you mean?” EeNox replied.
“We can’t just stroll in there like this,” he said, looking down at himself.
“Why not?” EeNox replied, giving himself a quick look over.
“I mean…I guess we could. It’s just that, well, we’re DyVorians now.”
“Which is perfect!”
“Why is that, exactly?” LyCora asked.
