Post by Arrowbid on Aug 22, 2007 19:08:49 GMT -5
Indulging sin
A great red beast rose from the blaze, like the phoenix he crooned and sang a song of battle, the birds grew silent and the earth’s life faded as it stole itself away from the great power and hid in the darkness. Oriental in stature but malevolent in nature he blazed and burned like death itself. Smoke fumed from his whiskered muzzle and his golden horns glinted in the sun like the blade of a well honed sword. Those cursed rams horns had dealt more deaths then needed, with their curling form that roped around his great head and thrust like spears into the sky with unrelenting malevolence. No weapon of man could be as sinister, their tips forever stained red. No matter how many scrapings against marble stone, the red wouldn’t fade from the golden bone.
Razac scythed his whip tail through the cerulean sky and arched his thorny back, swooping down like a plague from the heavens he was an unnerving sight yet somehow awe inspiring. The scarlet red Razac glowed in the blue sky and landed nimbly in the shrouded hill of an Asiatic mountain. The crests of the geologic structures were all that was visible in the clouds, in the dawn they appeared a misty purple. Cumulous clouds gathered and made everything around him vanish, the earth far below the mountain disappeared and the steep grassy hills above faded away. So much so that it seemed as if he was sitting on an island in the sky. Razac smiled proudly at how high he had flown and preened his scales. His eyes were troubled with the alpine grasses pollen as it floated aloft like tiny balls of light in the wind, limiting the visibility even more.
But Razac persevered, and stood over the edge of a rock that jutted out from the steep mountains cliff base. The alpine grass swayed in the high altitude breezes and looked as if fur on the mountain as it grew straight out of the cliffs side. Gazing down into the abyss he saw his chance and careened off of the sheer cliff and plummeted down to the earth. He caught what he was looking for and landed himself on a powerful air current, it sped him along down over the valley. Soon he was soaring down over the cliff of a plateaus cavern and into darkness. The slits of his eyes widened in the dark and everything came into focus. Nestled in secret in the desert valley of the great mountains, he had returned to the cavern.
As he landed, he gazed around and readjusted to the cool darkness. Above him lay his entrance and dappled light streamed down through the crag; the entrance itself lay in a maze of tunnels that the current had carried him down through. He thanked the wind for that easy journey and continued on his way. Slung low to the ground he snuck through the caverns and out once more into the bright light.
A huge underground expanse, a training ground hidden far beneath the earth, this was what he had returned to and soon it would be his. Razac trotted calmly into camp and stood upon the kopje that jutted out of the caves smooth stone floor. Feeling the under ground breeze whip against his scales and scenting the grottos stream, he gazed out over the heads of the many dragons gathered there. Looking for one in particular, his eyes shifted through the many scaled bodies and growling forms, sorting them and tossing them aside. But the gray ash body of the young and hopeful warrior he was looking for, was nowhere among the dragons of the third squadron. He grumbled in annoyance and roared out over the many spiked heads, “Mace! You scrawny lizard where are you!?”
A black and white striped male trotted over to him and growled amused, “What’s wrong little brother lost your dog?”
Razac whipped around angrily and smirked, “at least I’m not the one doing the serving, you take on every little one of Zeara’s whims like a slave!”
Xion slammed Razac to the rock and pinned him like a cat on a mouse, “You better learn how to behave, that’s no way to talk to a deputy much less Zeara, if she heard that comment you’d be dead already!”
“I am a general, next on line behind the deputy I don’t need to show you any respect” said Razac flatly as he scowled at his brother.
Xion got off of Razac and smiled at him, “Here then brother, your dog has arrived.”
Mace trotted up to them with worried eyes, he dipped his head to Xion properly, and rasped with a brisk and soldiers tone, “excuse me Xion, but may I speak with Razac please?”
Xion smirked at Razac and nodded, “Very well” and he turned to his brother slyly, “You would do kind to learn some manners from your little dog here.” He acknowledged Mace with a flick of the tail and trotted his zebra striped body off into the crowd to review the other warriors.
Mace watched him go obediently a little unnerved at Xion’s comment but held his tongue. Razac watched him as well and let a growl rumble in his throat before turning to his patron, “About time you showed your face, where did you go?”
Mace looked solemn but stood erect as he reported as usual, “I’m sorry, but I had to go looking for Saphear. I wanted to wait for you but I was worried and-“
“Saphear is dead.”
Mace stuttered for a moment but suddenly lost all of his stature and broke down in disbelief, “Wh-what? She can’t be dead I mean… she was just here yesterday and she told me she wasn’t going today so-”
“Yes well I saw her myself, she was killed by the humans but you can’t blame them, it’s in their nature.” Razac shook his head angrily, “No, its Xion’s fault, he said he wouldn’t make her take that mission but he did anyway.”
Mace shook his head confused and looked up to his only friend in the camp with pleading eyes, “What would you have of me now then?”
“Mace I wouldn’t throw you away just like that, there’s still plenty use for you” chuckled Razac putting on a guise. He had been using Mace an awful lot lately, mostly for getting close to Saphear as they had been good friends. “No, matter with Saphear gone it’s just one less distraction.”
“Come Mace; let’s speak with Xion shall we?” he would make him pay for letting Saphear die. Razac trotted off into the crowd and slashed his tail back and forth cutting anyone who didn’t step aside in time. Mace held his head high and scampered after him like a pup after his master, still wearing a wearied eyed face. Sulking at the looks other dragons were giving them as they passed.
None of them would lash out at Razac less they get a beating, but Mace was held in no respect and was often times ignored or beaten. Only Razac protected him and sought to use him through fear. Mace knew this and yet was not unhappy with his lot in life and often looked on the brighter side of things. With Razac keeping watch over him he was often excused from the more dangerous missions in which the younger troops were sometimes killed. He himself didn’t know what he was doing in such a place, where the minds were dark with plots of death and the leader had lost her mind altogether. Their leader Zeara, the estranged dragoness and strong wise queen, her heart had turned black long ago, though the reasons were unknown to him. Mace feared her, even more than Razac or Xion, but if he let loose his feelings of her he would likely be killed and Razac wouldn’t be able to save him from Zeara. Mace thought to himself, letting loose his suppressed demon.
Here there was no requiescat for the dead.
Zeara herself stood high upon a giant marbled stone, looking out over her dragons she had gathered. She no longer believed in such things as the dragon’s heaven or the creator, for all she knew of was death and hatred. This was reflected in her scales, which were pure black, black as coal or the night sky. Then her eyes, which were clouded over with grey, but not from blindness but from her own soul which had closed in on itself. Screening out the light save the smallest trace of gold from a time when she was like any other. Her elegant neck craned like a swan and she crooned a horrifying battle cry. “Soon my brothers and sisters… we shall attack the south kingdom, and rip their bodies into the sky!” she roared out in elegant fury, and called out, “To feed the dark one and nourish the fear!”
Many looked up with smirks and crooked grins upon their faces, they called out to their leader in response, “To feed the dark one!”
Zeara nodded in approval glided down with a swift jump from her marbled sentinel. All was going as planned, yet she found a few reminders could always be of use, less her pawns get any bright ideas. She marched her giant muscled body off from the crowd and toward the training grounds to find her deputy.
Xion’s striped body stood out like a flag amongst the many scales of blended color. His eyes swiveled back and forth in his armored head scrutinizing the many dragons there, watching them battle. The dark black slits locked onto a fight and his ears flicked up at the sounds of teeth meeting rough scales. Two were sparing off in the flat rock ground and their blows boomed echoing throughout the mighty cave. They stood in a circular hollow, run smooth by the many pads and talons that had scratched there. The two of them looked as fierce as angry griffins, their eyes flashed red and spit flew from their snarling maws.
It was Tuiron and Marceaus, the two of them had always disliked each other. Ever since Marceaus attacked him, Tuiron had carried a huge rip across his wing membrane and his flying path had never been the same. Tuiron in turn insulted Marceaus and fueled even more anger in their already black and angry hearts. So now they brought that fury out on one another, with Tuiron bringing his sledge hammer tail down hard across Marceaus’s right shoulder. Marceaus howled with anger and leapt across the clearing slashing his talons deep into Tuiron’s back. Tuiron in turn, whipped his tail around slashing deep into Marceaus’s neck and dodged his counter attack, flapping away with gusto. Marceaus’s neck poured out blood, enraged; he catapulted into the air after him. Tuiron sailed into the huge cave’s expanse, flying just low of the stalactites that protruded from the ceiling. He slowed and began to turn around, suddenly Marceaus had appeared from nowhere and bashed into Tuiron. With his neck craned his horns penetrated the flesh and were stained red as blood burst from Tuiron’s veins and gushed into the air. Tuiron was flung backwards so quickly it would take a dragon’s eye to see just what had happened. His back crashed into the caves ceiling and crumpled between the stalactites, just barely missing being speared in the spine.
Far below, Xion and Razac watched with excitement, the crowd of dragons jeered the fighting pare on, “Slash his neck!” they called. Rising, they stood bipedal to see over the many outstretched necks. Mace watched from below, disgusted at the crude spectacle, he was sitting alienated from the rest and looked up from the streams bank.
Tuiron crumpled and fainted, his body fell from the stalactites. Marceaus circled over him from above laughing in effulgence and swooped down taking side swipes at his falling body. Tuiron’s wings whipped up in the air and he snapped awake just in time to veer from the stones and land in the cave’s river.
Mace backed away from the stream, he howled in trepidation and raced away as stalactites were knocked from the caves ceiling and fell stabbing into the rock. He dodged them, just barely missing them as they grazed his flanks. Mace stumbled and tripped over a large stone just as one fell, it barely missed chipping off a piece off his horn.
Tuiron skidded and landed in the river and hydroplaned across it making waves wash over its banks. He landed in like a swan and dove under just as Marceaus let loose another jet of flame. Steam fumed from the waters surface as it twirled and spiraled into the cold air, billowing up like a great tsunami. It cast shadows across the cave floor and water washed over the banks as Tuiron submerged. Tuiron swam like a crocodile; he rested at the rivers bottom and looked up to the surface. The water was cold from the stone riverbed and no fish swam in its depths, a few crabs however skirted away into their holes. A shadow glided over the surface rippling beneath the waves, Tuiron exploded from the water and threw a blast of inferno into the air. Marceaus received the full force of the scorching dark fire and fell to the ground. His body smoked and skidded and crashed on the rocks, stopping only when he slammed into the stalagmites.
Marceaus stood up at once, his body still smoking from the fire. Looking exhausted he shook the smoke away and growled as Tuiron approached him. Tuiron was dripping water, his claws clicked on the marble cave stone and his scales shone with bright green revel from the water. Tuiron’s face displayed no emotion and if he did feel anything, he was keeping the emotions locked away. Casually he strolled up to Marceaus and crouched low to the ground, mouth open and fuming. They squared off once more and would have killed each other right there if Xion hadn’t stepped in. Xion side-swiped Tuiron and flung him down to the floor. His talons clicked against the jugular and pinned him. Becoming submissive Tuiron fell limp and he tilted his head up away from Xion’s talons. Xion smirked, letting Tuiron up he snapped at the two of them like they were mere children, “That’s better, now stop your feuding and save your energy for the battle.”
“…Yes Xion” they growled obediently, mostly because they caught sight of Zeara breaking through the crowd. She padded up to them with a calm look in her eyes, and she asked slyly “Now, why would the two of you be fighting like this when we have business to take care of?”
“They have a grudge against each other and it just got out of control that’s all” muttered Xion, trying to appeal to her.
She frowned and looked her deputy over, “was I speaking to you?”
Xion stuttered, “N-no, but-“
“Then snap your jaw shut!” she lashed bitterly.
“Yes Zeara” he said taken aback.
Razac snickered to himself as he wandered over and watched from Mace’s side. Tuiron and Marceaus forgot their troubles for the moment and approached Zeara cautiously as she turned her cold stare on them, “Well, is what Xion said true or not?”
“Yes we just got a little anxious that’s all, what with being cooped up down here all the time.”
Zeara lifted her cold stare and looked down on them, she knew that they hated each other, “Come now, I don’t appreciate being lied to, if you have something against the other then finish it.” She walked over to Marceaus casually, “You want to kill him? Then go ahead, we can always send out another in his place.”
Marceaus raised his head and stuttered as he felt her scrutinizing him, “Yes, I mean no, but-“then he thought of something, “I wouldn’t want to disturb our plans for the day Zeara, if we are to attack the south kingdom then we need our best fighters. If I was to kill him now it would take awhile to find a replacement…”
Zeara had the slightest hint of amusement crawl and skitter across her acid-black face, “Yes your right Marceaus… besides… you can always finish this after the battle.” Zeara turned to the Xion and looked down from the stone hollow as a red bruiser deliberately trotted up to them with an incensed hatred. It was Razac; he growled to Xion but obediently dipped his head to him as Zeara was watching. He brushed Xion aside and let a scarred threat rumble in his throat as he approached him, “How could you do that to Saphear?! You know as well as I that no one could survive that army alone!”
Razac’s scales hackled along on his neck in anger and he snarled at his brother menacingly. Zeara wasn’t annoyed with Razac’s behavior but watched amused as the two of them looked so hateful toward each other. Xion looked down at Razac with a superior and narrowed look in his eyes, “Zeara’s orders, someone had to go and make sure there were no survivors from the attack and it is not my place to question her decisions. If you have a problem I suggest you take it up with her.”
Razac snorted in agitation and backed away with his head down in submission, Zeara would kill him if he went against her decisions. He glared at Xion but lowered his head in respect as Zeara approached him.
Zeara scowled after overhearing the two brother’s conversation and she snapped at him with crocodile teeth, “What is your problem then?” she asked annoyed, and added slyly, “Has something I’ve done displeased you?”
Razac stared angrily at her, he didn’t care for Zeara or her methods, he spat angrily “What’s this that you’ve done to Saphear?! Everyone knows she would be killed flying straight into an army like that!”
Zeara smirked at him, “Razac, you are a fine general and fighter but you must learn that to win battles you must make sacrifices, however small they may be. Saphear was expendable we have plenty to take her place, and now that she’s gone the males will no longer be distracted with her.”
Razac thrashed his tail agitatedly and curled his lip as Zeara walked past him, “Did you find her then?” she sneered. Zeara enjoyed these fleeting moments of torment.
Razac hissed and his eyes ran red but he calmed himself from the indignity and spoke slyly without emotion, “Yes… she was killed by the humans.” Turning his back to her, he looked over his shoulder and jived, “It may interest you to know that I also found someone else while I was there.”
Zeara raised her eyes and questioned him with a ‘cut above the rest’ kind of knowing, “Oh you did, did you? Well then who is this person that is so important for me to know about? This superior deity that you think is worth my time and generous patience?” she questioned, a little perturbed that her plans for the day were being interrupted once more.
“Just that young green male again, he was given some trouble by a human and one of the water people.”
Zeara looked up with the slightest hint of predicted intrigue, “Where did he go then, this young green?”
Razac smiled, knowing he hit the nerve he had been so keenly searching for. “You’re thinking of the prophecy again eh? Yes I saw where he went, just over the mountain toward the great forest” he said smirking, obviously trying to tantalize her with perturbing tales.
Zeara snarled, “Watch yourself, I don’t believe in any fools prophecy but I do know that the clan can always use more warriors.” Zeara turned away but added before she left, “Is it… the same forest where that old Drateco lives in?”
Razac yawned with relishing pleasure and flopped down on the cold smooth stone. “You mean the one from the council? Yes he lives there, and if I remember correctly, the green and his brother were headed toward his cave” he mused.
Zeara scowled. Her thoughts flickered and her eyes seemed to study something off in the distance. She smirked then and glared at Razac, who in turn grew a confused look on his face at her sudden change of attitude. “When we are ready to head out to Damamecha, I want you to take a small hunting party to his cave… and put him down.”
Razac glared at her and sneered, “As you wish.” Razac growled, and he slunk away into the shadows to find volunteers, which there would undoubtedly be plenty of. Zeara watched him go suspiciously and glanced over to Xion as he approached her. He looked up to her and asked confused, “Zeara, if you don’t believe in the prophecy why send him to kill Drateco?”
Zeara growled, “Drateco is an old fool, if he goes around telling stories like that to everyone with gold eyes… we could have a lot of dragons sticking their noses where they don’t belong.”
Xion flexed his talons, “Why worry though? We could easily avoid them and take them out.”
Zeara chuckled to herself, “… a situation like ours calls for certain… precision. I don’t want anyone interfering. After all, the empires of the future are the empires of the mind.” She looked out into her crowd of warriors with a cold stare, “Come Xion, it is time for battle.” Walking off into the crowd with a dark ambition she kept her head low and her eyes set as she flicked her tail signaling to her deputy. Xion sneered and raised his head to the black cave’s surface, he crooned a haunting tone that carried out to all the warriors there, and they instantly recognized the song and greeted it with snapping jaws and drooling maws… it was the song of death, the song of war.