Ch 30: The Final Cry
Imported from SF2 with no description.
I emerge from the temple with much less energy than I'd entered, the drain of my breath weapon, the overwhelming emotions, everything that had happened on this extraction was catching up to me, I was exhausted. The clouds had dispersed entirely by now and the light stepping from the temple was almost blinding, as my eyes adjusted I saw Calamity slumped over Inferno's motionless body, lifting his head from her belly as I approached. His cheeks were wet with tears and he seemed to sniffle a little. Of course, I'm not the only one who was bonded to her...Calamity has his own grief over our fallen mate. I hadn't actually really noticed his own grief over my own, had my emotions overpowered his? Was I simply blind to them? These were questions to be answered at a more convenient time.
Holding up the Life Relic I see some hope flash in Calamity's eyes, hope had brewed in my own heart on the way back, till I'd realized I had no idea on how to actually activate the sacred orb. The shaman would have known, too late for that...curses. As I approached holding the relic I noticed the glow of the orb begin to build, I could almost feel it pulling me towards Inferno. The pull of energy builds as I get closer till I'm barely a pace away and having to strain to keep my grip on the relic, just as I consider letting go of the artifact there's a sudden cracking sound as the orb breaks. Strands of light swirl upwards through the air, the magic seeming to dance and flow and glides over and around Inferno's body. The dragon spirit that had been trapped inside was free, swimming through the air following the trails of light that preceded it from the orb before drifting into Inferno's body along with all the light swirling strands. The black dragon statue was now wrapped around a cracked empty orb and began to crumple in my grip. The two parts fell from my clutches, crumbling almost entirely to dust before even hitting the ground.
A few moments pass and nothing happens, Calamity's emotions of concern, doubt and worry begin to overlap my own as our bond goes unheeded. We keep staring at her though, surely the magic was doing something, surely this hadn't all been for nothing? A sudden inhale immediately quashes all the negative thoughts as Inferno springs back to life gasping for air. Ecstatic excitement filled my mind and I felt Calamity's own relief and excitement double into my mine as he instantly leapt forwards to hug Inferno tightly, leading to me pulling him off so she could finish catching her breath.
As I pulled Calamity back, I saw it, zigzagging from a small indent in Inferno's chest, a branching scar that looked almost like a bare tree branch spanning over her breast where the large bolt of lightening had struck. The very mark meant for me, that, she took without a second thought. After catching her breath and analysing the situation that she survived the lightening attack, Inferno gives Calamity the hug he so desperately desired. Inferno then moves to hug me with a smile of gladness. My heart still felt like it was in my gut as I stared at the sight of the scar across her chest. The disfiguring mark cut between her scales almost ruining the beauty of her previously flawless rubyesque scales that I'd so enjoyed to take in. Disregarding the more than likely obvious look of shock across my face, she takes me into a hug, as nice as it was to feel her so close, breathing and alive once again, something was still off...the bond between us was still severed. Despite the still hollow feeling inside, I felt tears of joy begin to form in my eyes, she was alive, that was all that mattered.
“I am so glad you survived the attack my Tyrant” She sighs out in relief.
“Remember when I instructed you not to sacrifice yourself for me?” I replied in sadness.
“Remember when I said I would never follow such a request my Tyrant?” Inferno retorted even after a brief moment of death, her stubbornness stood strong. I pull away from the hug and place my right foreleg on her chest struggling to find words to apologize. It must have been obvious as her paw soon rested over mine “A scar I wear proudly as a Royal Guard of the Fury Bloodline, now should we not secure the Life Relic?” I sigh out in some relief at her comforting comment, realising her last memory must be of the Quetzalcoatl attacking me. I began to explain to her what had occurred but Calamity more than eagerly took over.
“My Dominion went frantic after you saved his life, practically annihilating Quetzalcoatl with a single huge pulse of his deadly black breath, then rushed to the temple to bring back the Life Relic” Of course he couldn't enlighten Inferno on what occurred inside the temple, once he'd finished his little outburst I took over and detailed what had happened a little more concisely, Calamity just as eager to hear what events unfolded inside the temple as Inferno was.
“How benevolent of you my Tyrant.” Inferno mocks me with a smirk once I'd mentioned the artifact crumbling after the dragon soul within had absconded into her own being. I decided to allow the remark to stand, by this point the three of us where sat back on our hind legs facing each other, almost in a triangle. I smile at them both, the happiness was consuming my mind. The red sun was beginning to dip down and set in the distance. A calm breeze slithered over my scales. I push my snout out towards them, they both copy my movement and place their own snouts against mine. Bliss consumed me. I had two dragons that loved me and my freedom.
“What happens now my Dominion?” Calamity asked. I hadn't really thought about that. I was in no hurry to return to the Dragon Realm to face my sire, especially since, in his eyes at least, we would had failed our extraction. The Life Relic was no more.
“I suppose we now make the long journey back to the point of return, break the warp stone to open the rift between our realms and return to the Dragon Realm. Report to my sire and see what happens next” I answered, my previous joy beginning to be overtaken by misery.
“What about Orion Village? Our loyal kobolds?” Inferno asked.
“Well, we can't really go anywhere until Calamity's wing joint fully heals, so I suppose for the time being I see no harm staying with them” I respond, receiving a great deal of affection from the two of them at the suggestion, returning their licks, kisses and nuzzles. Calamity and I can see about re-establishing our binding bond with Inferno in time, right now, we all needed rest and began our decent from the Totem Temple to Orion Village.