Story - Through Darkness

"What's that light in the alley?" Beyvon said curiously, pointing at the faint glow that was barely visible in the darkness.

Irosh shrugged and replied, "None of my business. Anyway, we're in a hurry, let's move on."

Muhas ignored her and started walking into the alley. "Don't be such a coward. I bet it's something interesting!" he called.

"I suppose we should go after him," Weljan said, following him into the alley. "Come on, you girls! Aren't you curious?"

The four avians entered the alley and stood in front of the glow covering the back wall. Suddenly, the glow expanded to surround them and grew blindingly bright. Then it vanished, erasing the alley, and they were all falling endlessly in the darkness.

- - - - -

Irosh and Beyvon were flung out of the void onto grass-covered land. They waited until the world stopped spinning around them, then sat up and looked around.

"That was a Doorcrack. It's all your fault we fell into it," Irosh snapped.

"Sorry. But I guess apologizing won't help now," Beyvon replied meekly, glancing around. "Where are Weljan and Muhas?"

"I don't know. Don't worry about them, they're survivors. We should be trying to find our way home," Irosh said. "Where are we?"

They were standing at the base of a huge tower. Beyvon looked up and couldn't see the top. It was night, just like in the Dragon Soul when they left, but the stars were totally different.

"I don't know, but I think we aren't in the Dragon Soul anymore," she said. There was a small noise just above her, so soft she thought she had imagined it. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Irosh answered irritably. She had just been hurled into another world, was completely lost, and was now in a bad mood.

The situation got a lot worse when two insect-like beasts leapt off the tower walls and landed on top of them. Irosh screamed as one of the beasts ripped into the elbow joint of her left wing, then crawled across her back and bit her right wing. With both wings damaged, she was unable to fly. They're doing this deliberately to disable us, she realized in horror.

Beyvon had problems of her own too. The beast landed on her shoulder and bit the base of her left wing, then repeated the action on the other side. Its claws left bloody streaks across her back, and it was preparing a killing neck bite. Beyvon reached behind in desperation, yanked the creature off her neck and threw it as far away as she could. The monster's sharp claws left wounds on her neck and right hand. What are these? She wondered. Small but deadly.

Irosh slammed her back into the stone tower, hoping to crush the creature. She gasped as the impact drove its claws into her skin and the hard wall bruised her back. The tactic worked as the beast dropped to the ground, stunned momentarily. "We have to fight together!" she shouted, watching as it recovered. Beyvon immediately ran over to help.

Irosh picked up a stick to use as a weapon, and wished that she had something more effective. Beyvon grabbed a few heavy stones to throw. The two stood back-to-back as their foes crept up on them again.

Irosh's beast appeared to be injured. It was only able to jump a short distance to grab her left leg. She pried its claws off with her stick and pinned the beast to the ground as it struggled, lashing at the stick with its tail. She pushed down hard and finally managed to crush it.

Beyvon watched her enemy as it approached. It dodged the rocks she threw, and leapt at her face, but she was waiting for this moment. She hurled a rock and struck it accurately in mid-leap. It landed on the grass, twitching. She raced over to it and repeatedly bashed its head with a rock until it stopped moving.

Gasping and bleeding, they collapsed on the ground to rest, but the silence was quickly shattered by the sound of wings. A great fire-coloured dragon was descending from the tower. Wearily, they rose to meet this new threat.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help!" the dragonrider shouted as they landed.

"Too late. They're dead," Irosh said, watching him suspiciously.

"You're good fighters," the man remarked. "No wonder Teineirith said you'd make good candidates."

"What candidates?" Beyvon asked tiredly. Her wounds hurt and she needed to heal them.

"Maybe I should fetch a healer first," he suggested, looking concerned.

"No, we can heal ourselves. Is it safe? We can't be disturbed while we're in the trance," Irosh interrupted.

"Go ahead. We'll keep watch," the dragonrider assured them.

Beyvon immediately closed her eyes and went into a healing trance, using magic to cure her wounds. Irosh stayed awake, staring at the dragon. "I don't trust you," she declared defiantly.

"I don't blame you. But I assure you that I, High Knight Faris, would never do anything dishonourable."

Beyvon opened her eyes and flexed her wings. "You didn't heal?" she remarked in surprise.

"Keep watch. I don't trust him," Irosh whispered before the entered the healing trance.

When both of them were fully healed, Faris began explaining the situation. "I am High Knight Faris, rider of Teineirith. You've been chosen to become candidates for a clutch of hybrid xenomorphic dragons. Rather like those you've killed."

"You're crazy!" Irosh exclaimed in disbelief.

"You want to throw us to those monsters?" Beyvon yelled, pointing at Faris.

"No! You'll be going for the normal dragons of the outer circle, not these inner circle monsters. I won't send sacrifices for the inner circle, believe me."

Beyvon glanced at Irosh and whispered, "I think he's honest this time."

"We're listening. Try and convince us," Irosh said.

Faris sighed. "I believe the xenodragons are part of a plan to destroy this world. You can help me stop the apocalypse if you agree to become candidates. Watch over those xenodragons and find out what's going on. I don't want anyone to die, including you. If you think it's too risky, I'll bring you home. But I hope you'll help."

There was a long silence before Beyvon spoke up. "Seems like it's more serious than we thought. But we're here now, and we'll try our best to help. I wish our friends we here to help too."

"Yes! We'll end the apocalypse even before it starts! Don't worry, we won't die so easily," Irosh said, grinning. "Since we've agreed to help, you should return the favour and search for our friends."

"Of course. I'll get the knights to look out for them. We'll talk in my chamber. I need details about your friends, and you need to know everything that's happened. It's a long story."

- - - - -

Muhas and Weljan materialised in the middle of a freezing blizzard and fell face-first into a pile of snow. Picking themselves up, they surveyed their surroundings. It was evening and the pale winter light was fading.

Peering through the snow, Muhas searched for his missing friends. "Where are Irosh and Beyvon?" he asked.

"The Doorcrack transported them elsewhere. They must be in a faraway place," Weljan replied.

"I'm sure they've ended up somewhere warm. We'll freeze to death out here. It'll be night soon," Muhas said, shivering.

Weljan spotted a building through the falling snow. "There's a castle on that hill. We can shelter there." He hesitated before adding, "But that castle gives me the creeps. I've got a bad feeling about it."

"We don't have a choice. Night's coming and we'll die out here. You're right, we should be careful in an unknown place," Muhas answered. He touched the handle of the knife strapped to his belt. "I've got a knife, so don't worry."

"Let's go, then," Weljan said, feeling reassured by the weapon. The two avians took off and flew towards the castle.

- - - - -

"Is anyone there?" Muhas yelled. They were standing in front of a huge door. The blizzard had stopped, but night had fallen and the temperature was dropping fast. "We're lost travellers! May we please stay here for tonight?"

"Please let us in! It's really cold outside. We only want shelter," Weljan shouted. There was no response."Maybe they can't hear us."

"We'll fly inside, then," Muhas said, and immediately soared up and over the wall.

Weljan quickly followed him. "Wait! They might think we're intruders," he said.

"We can't wait outside all night!" Muhas snapped angrily as they landed within the walls. They gazed around the open courtyard as they walked towards some large stone buildings.

Weljan tripped over something hidden under the snow. It was an enormous broken bone. "What's this?" he exclaimed.

Muhas turned back and saw his friend examining the bone. "Stop wasting time," he said, then paused and spun around to see several reptilian beasts stalking towards him, growling. "Watch out!" he cried as he dodged a wingless dragon that tried to pounce on him. Its clawed forepaw gouged his left arm, but he had avoided serious injury.

Weljan looked up and spotted more beasts advancing. He grasped the bone firmly, its sharp, broken edge sticking out like a spear. His foot kicked another bone and he took it as well. A three-headed hydra lunged at him but he struck its heads aside with his crude weapons.

"Fly!" he cried as he leaped into the air. The hydra reared, snapping at him. One head bit his right wingtip, but Weljan tore his wing from the jaws with a desperate effort, leaving the hydra with a mouthful of bloody feathers.

Muhas drew his knife and grabbed a bone, fending off the beasts. Once he had enough space, he took off to join Weljan. The flightless monsters jumped and screamed in frustration as they watched their prey escape. The winged beasts rose into the sky to pursue the fleeing avians.

Being larger, stronger and faster, they soon caught up with their quarry. Muhas and Weljan spun around to face them. A big two-headed winged hydra led the beasts, comprised of smaller hydras, dragons and winged serpents.

"That's the leader," Muhas said, gesturing at the hydra. "They're faster so we can't escape. We must fight. If we can hurt the leader the rest might run."

Weljan's heart sank as he watched the terrifying monster approach. "I guess there's no other choice," he said. "We win or die. What's your plan?"

The beasts caught up and surrounded them from the sides, above and below. They were merely there to prevent the prey from escaping. The hydra leader faced them, growling. It would be the one to kill and eat the prey.

"You distract it, I'll stab from behind," Muhas told Weljan hurriedly. Weljan quickly nodded. That knife's the only real weapon we have, he thought. Only he has a chance of killing it.

The hydra hissed and struck with both heads. Muhas waited until the last moment and soared up, narrowly missing the sharp fangs. The right head twisted upwards, following him as he flew over the hydra's back.

"Over here!" Weljan screamed, striking the right head's lower jaw with his bone club to distract it. Both heads immediately turned to face him, attacking simultaneously with jaws open, ready to bite. He stabbed the bone inside the mouth of the left head, turned swiftly and jammed the other bone down the throat of the right head. The hydra drew back, gagging. It spat the bones out with difficulty and lunged again. Weljan avoided the first few strikes but he had lost his weapons. The left head bit down on his weaker, injured right wing, and the right head prepared to bite him in half.

Meanwhile, Muhas had performed a roll in mid-air and landed on the hydra's back. He threw the bone away and grasped the knife firmly in both hands. Since he was an avian, he knew the weak points in the shoulder and where to stab in order to disable the wing. Suddenly, he heard Weljan's scream of pain as the hydra caught him. Desperate to save his friend, he drove the knife into the hydra's shoulder with all his might.

The hydra screamed and released Weljan as blood spurted from the wound. Muhas twisted and dragged the blade along its shoulder, widening the wound. Unable to fly, the hydra plunged towards the ground, writhing in pain. Its barbed tail lashed out and stabbed Muhas' back, knocking him off. Instead of fleeing, the lesser beasts followed their leader as it crashed into the snow. The avians heard the hydra's shrieks as its companions attacked it and tore it to pieces.

Weljan shuddered at the feeding frenzy below him. "We need to get away before they come after us," Muhas said, turning his back resolutely on the carnage.

- - - - -

They flew as far as they could before collapsing on the snowy ground. Muhas felt his back burning with pain. "That hydra tail's poisoned. I need to purge the poison now before it spreads further," he gasped, shivering with pain and cold. "Can you stand watch?"

Weljan nodded, even though his own wounds needed healing. The hydra had a poisonous bite too, and his right wing was nearly paralysed. Still, he could see that Muhas was worse off.

"I'll heal as fast as I can, so you can heal your wing," Muhas assured Weljan, before folding his wings around his body to keep warm. Closing his eyes, he sank into a healing trance.

Weljan was left alone in the cold night. Despite wrapping his feathered wings around himself like a coat, he still felt extremely cold. In the moonlight, he glimpsed the beasts feeding and heard the noises from a great distance.

Muhas awoke and said, "I'm fine now. Quick, heal that wing so we can leave." Weljan did not hesitate to go into the trance. He had just closed his eyes when Muhas spotted a blue dragon circling above them in the night sky, apparently observing the feeding frenzy from a safe distance. It changed direction abruptly and landed near them. Muhas drew his knife, still covered with hydra blood, and watched the dragonrider approach them.

"I assume you two aren't from Arx Atra Mons?" the man asked, examining them. "Were you hurt trying to escape from the beasts?"

"I don't know anything about this Arx whatever, but you'd better not try anything funny," Muhas warned, brandishing his knife.

"Look, I'm just trying to help. If you want to escape, come with me. It's not safe here. You'll be caught by the beasts, assuming you don't freeze to death first."

Muhas considered their situation. He's right. We don't have a choice except to trust him, he realised. "Fine, we'll trust you."

"Good. Is your friend all right? We should get him to a healer," the rider said, concerned.

"He'll be fine in a moment. In fact, he's healing his wounds now."

On cue, Weljan opened his eyes and started at the sight of the rider and his dragon. He was on his feet in an instant. "Who's that?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the stranger.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm R'lan, rider of Ancith. We'll bring you to Ryslen. You'll be safe there. Now, can we leave before the beasts find us?" he replied, leading the way to his dragon. Ancith crouched to let them mount. With a great leap, they were on their way to Nidus Ryslen.

- - - - -

"Good news! Your friends have been spotted at Ryslen, on the planet Pern. Apparently they ran into a bit of trouble at Arx Atra Mons, but were rescued by a Ryslen Searchrider," Faris told Irosh and Beyvon.

"That's a relief. It's great that they're safe!" Irosh exclaimed, smiling happily.

"Can we send them a message? I'm sure they're worried about us too," Beyvon asked.

"Of course. I can get Kaki and Sylath to bring it there. Anyway, we need to check up on the candidates we've sent to the Flurry. Now go write that letter."

The two avians finished their joint letter quickly. It read:

To Muhas and Weljan,

We're glad you're both safe and sound, and so are we. We're at a place called Cy Dragonstake, on the planet of Dracania. Sorry we can't come over to see you, but we've become candidates for a dragon clutch, and it'll hatch soon. There's a big conspiracy surrounding this clutch we've got to investigate. Once all this is over, we'll be able to reunite again. Wait for us, and please reply!

From Beyvon and Irosh

They watched Kaki and Sylath teleport away, traveling to Ryslen.

"Well, that's it. Now we can focus on investigating those strange happenings. Do you really think that Tenken's responsible?" Beyvon commented.

"I don't think so. From what Faris said, Tenken's got no reason to hurt Cy. He was the one who helped stop the last apocalypse. But then, running away like that's very suspicious," Irosh replied.

"The clutch will hatch soon. We'd better be ready for whatever's going to happen."

- - - - -

The dark elf Cre'van waved an envelope at Muhas and Weljan, saying, "It's a letter for you, from Cy Dragonstake."

Weljan blinked and asked, "Who would write to us? Nobody knows we're here, and we certainly don't know anyone from your Cy Dragonstake."

Cre'van shrugged and said, "Just take it. I don't know who it's from either. Kaki brought it, he's waiting with Sylath outside for your reply."

Muhas took the envelope, addressed to them. "This writing's familiar," he remarked as he tore it open. His eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Hey, it's from the girls!"

"Really? Let me see!" Weljan said, looking over his friend's shoulder. They read the letter silently. "It's good that they're okay."

"I knew they'd do fine on their own. And it's great that they've become candidates, like us."

"I wonder what that 'conspiracy' is. I hope they're not getting into trouble."

"Well, I hope that Flurry clutch we're standing for hatches soon. Then we'll be able to meet them sooner."

"We'd better reply," Weljan said, grabbing some paper and a pencil, and quickly scribbling a reply, with Muhas looking over his shoulder.

To Irosh and Beyvon,

Glad you're safe. We're candidates too, but at Ryslen. Once we Impress, and our dragons are grown, we'll definitely meet. Until then, take care.

From Weljan and Muhas

"Done? Cre'van said the rider's outside. Don't keep him waiting!" Muhas said, grabbing the letter and running outside.

- - - - -

Irosh bonded female Kica

- - - - -

Beyvon bonded female Jiere

- - - - -

Muhas bonded male Stelelyja

- - - - -

Weljan bonded male Lestecko