FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 22

From the castle came a thunderous chime, as a phantom bell sprung to life. The wind howled past them as Roshan closed his eyes and dipped his head. Around his ivory hide, the air sparked and shimmered with magical might. Where darkness tried to hide, luminous bursts of cerulean light cast away its darkened grasp. It flowed out from his hooves and twisted and curved, swirling around Infinity's claws.

Electricity coursed through her veins, filled every breath, but it didn't hurt. She tingled from head to toe, trying to focus what power this was. Closing her mind away from all the distractions she condensed the feeling to a single point in her claw.

Lightning crackled through the sky, tearing apart the clouds. Lyyreth savagely snarled, his head snapping back in a ghoulish way. His limbs flailed about like a wicked marionette, mocking life itself. His tail thundered to the ground as he twisted around to Infinity, his eyes black with molten streams cascading down his slits.

"So Infinity returns." His voice was a low, guttural hiss. Blackened mist curling outward from his nostrils. "To offer herself as a willing tribute? Unexpected but welcome." He twitched his frills, waiting for her wavering spirit.

But resolve shielded her heart, pressed her forward. With her claw outstretched she made contact with her snarling friend. "Not exactly."

They both convulsed, power surging cleaving apart the air and dancing off both their scales. The electricity burst and sparked around them, filling her every sight.

The demon shrieked in agony, "You will fail she dragon! Just like before! I have him, you will never free him! Look within yourself, nothing but a murderous beast!"

Like a fortress she held her ground, words falling upon deaf ears. She focused the memories that encompassed her. The terrible past that had befallen her, the time she'd grown, and what she'd become. The good, the bad, everything. This was Infinity, and she was Lyyreth's only hope.

The air roared around them like a lion, nearly blasting them away with its intensity.

"You killed hundreds dragon! You're just like me! He's seen the glee in which you feasted on humans! How you relished in the slaughter of so many! You think he loves you but that's false! How his hate festers in his heart. He loathes you for his brother's death!"

"It's who I was." She said flatly, meeting the demon's eyes. She didn't blink, trying to ignite the air ablaze with her gaze. "Nothing but lies! Leave him you vile thing!"

Lyyreth convulsed, spittle pooling from his distended jaw. He threw back his head, screaming an alien sound. "I won't give him back you know." The thing cackled in malevolent glee. "He'll die with me! You'll be alone!"

Her heart skipped a beat, wing talons trembling.

The thing snapped right to her, a wicked smirk about its snout. "That's it girl. If you continue this the green dragon will die. The one you cared for a bit more...Loved?" It snickered mockingly before it's tongue slithered out to lick his lips. "Just let me free and you can have him. We can be monsters together."

Was that true? Every nerve she had was screaming out for him. The dragon that'd saved her from the wyverns when she was ready to die. The one who'd filled her life with such light and joy. How could she let him die now? Like this? Because of her? She could feel her focus slipping as the creature squirmed in her power. She could feel a sickening heat building in her claws as the demon continued to use Lyyreth's voice like a puppet.

"That's it little one...Just let go. You can be with him again."

Almost gone, she could feel it slipping. Why where the words of her father so far away? She squeezed shut her eyes as the Lyyreth demon continued to chant to her it's dark demand. All of this adventure, all for naught. She was going to fail agai-

"You can do it mum." Axton placed a hand gently on her scales, she could even feel his warmth on his palm. But that would be crazy right? "Send this demon to heck."

Axton? How could this? Her mind was spinning as Lyyreth cackled like a mad dragon, but before she could even grasp around this, her father was to her left.

"The spell is reaching it's zenith. Keep your focus, ignore it's lies. Save your friend over there."

"And never forget." Cordenth's voice swirled around her ears. "You have a promise to keep."

Well, if she was going to go crazy, might as well be before she was going to die. Yet as she struggled and grit her teeth, she could already feel the heat starting to dim. "I do have a promise to keep." She pushed onward, through the pain. She screamed and reached out to Lyyreth's snout again.

"What?" The demon's slits widened, then rolled back in agony. Lyyreth fell, twitching and spasming across the ground, thrashing as he coughed up globs of blackened, vicious goo.

She was quick to his side as the green dragon thrashed, begging for him to pull through. Placing a paw on his chest she helped steady him. Every scale twitching hack comforting her nerves. He was going to be free, just half a dozen more.

The stones from the castle cracked and splintered, thrown high into the swirling clouds. The rest of it broke and collapsed, reduced to mere dust with a blow of the wind. It spiraled around them in a disorganized fashion, connecting bolts of lightning that danced from each one like tiny little strands of thread.

Focus.

She took a steady breath, closing her eyes and focusing back to the ritual. Clearly it wasn't over and she needed to maintain her great lead. With every dull beat the whistling wind faded until it was nothing but a tiny whisper. She was alone in perfect silence, with only the sound of twin heartbeats in her ears. Had it worked? She opened her eyes to find herself in confusion even more.

Instead of the field and castle she was within perfectly smooth stone room. Large enough for her to spread out her wings, far taller than her height. It was adorned with cubbies for sealed treasures, fitting more for a tomb. She could feel Lyyreth all around her, smell his scent. Yet when she looked around, found nothing. No exit or entrance, just a slab of raised stone in the center. Atop it was a lit wax candle, flickering innocently away.

The air stilled as she watched its strange dance. Compelled to take a few tentative steps. Fractured whispers seemed to flow from its movements, enticing her to come closer. Was this all still part of the spell? She took another step without thinking. The unicorn _did_say they were going to enter the demon's domain? Was this its domain? She glanced around to the stone. It looked too plain for a demon right? There we no skulls, blood, pits of fire. All the stereotypical things of their realm. When she blinked again she was hovering over the candle, curled around it's pedestal.

"Hello is anyone there?" A pained voice whispered from the candle.

Up went her spines as she backed away in a panic. From a safe distance she eyed it with suspicion, half expecting the thing to turn into a giant creature and start chasing her around.

"That's a lost soul." A disembodied voice spoke softly, sounding like the Roshan's mixed with her own. "You're peering into the demon's essence. What you see is a claimed soul. The demon draws it's strength from such things, tortures them endlessly for all time. But it is a double edged sword. While it grows in strength, it can be weakened just as much with it's removal."

"So..." She stared at the flame, wondering what this person looked like. "We have to get rid of the souls to free Lyyreth?"

"It will create an opening to destroy the demon."

"But what happens to the soul?" She curled back around the candle, leaving it mere inches from her nose. It certainly looked like a normal candle. Wax and everything dripping down the sides.

"Nothing."

"So...we can't even help them?" Her ears pinned to the back of her head. Was this to be Lyyreth's fate if she failed?

"You would be ending their torment. It will be whisked away to the void. Never able to ascend to the heavens."

With a gentle whine her heart sank. She'd be denying these poor souls an afterlife of happiness with their long-lost families. "Is there no other way? I don't want to be a devourer of souls if I don't have to."

"Focus on their suffering. You would be freeing them from it."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." She sighed, flicking her tail. With a prayer to the gods above she breathed in and extinguished the flames. The room grew dark, the warmth faded. In creeped an enveloping cold that chilled Infinity to the bone. The stones around her shifted and burst, sprouting little legs and marching to a section along the far wall.

They folded on themselves, propping up against the stone to form a set of double doors. With a clunk the doors flung open on their own accord, revealing a corridor that raced outwards towards another room, large enough for several dragons. Inside she found two more candles, this time being held by iron cages being dangled with thick chains from the ceiling. This time she could see the carvings along the stone of this room had demotic symbols, some sections inlaid with human skulls.

"How many do I need to put out?" She said with a shaky voice, searching the twin flames.

"Enough for it to release him." Roshan said softly.

Her spirit sunk as the twin voice called out for her. One begged to see if anyone would listen. It was a crying ma, begging to see his children. Only wanting to know if they were okay. The other was a murderer, delighting over the victims he'd slain. Perhaps this might be easier than she thought. With a bit of courage, she blew them both out, leaving her alone. Again the cold returned. She could endure this. All for Lyyreth she told herself as the room shook with power.

This time the walls around crumbled like an avalanche to reveal the room beyond. But what they revealed made her gasp, her scales tremble. There was not a room here, but a vast cavern as far as her eyes could see. It was covered from top to bottom with candles of all shapes and sizes. They sat atop rocks, rested on pedestals of skulls, some simple affixed to the wall with a pulsing mound of flesh. Countless souls gathered from numerous eras, doomed to spend their existence as playthings for a wretched creature of the hells. All at once they called for her, the air turning to a cacophony of mortal misery.

Breaths came softly as her limbs turned to stone. The gravity of what she was seeing weighed heavily on her soul. Her claws started to tremble as she attempted to count them all. Never did she think there would be this many.

"You must free them all child." The unicorn called to her, but even he sounded unsure.

She shook away her paralysis, repeating that this was for Lyyreth. Holding out her trembling limb she imagined a great surge of water. One that would sweep through this cavern like divine retribution. One final act of mercy to these displaced souls.

With a flick of her tail the air grew humid. Sounds of a rushing river echoed through the halls as she pictured the waterfall near Matilda's house in her mind. Stones shifted and shook beneath her claws. The walls trembled with her building fury as Infinity snarled the final syllable of her curse. The air sighed in relief as water burst from all directions. Raining down swift mercy to all those below.

It drenched and splashed in all directions, rising geysers along the cavern every few feat. Candles proved helpless to this watery assault, snuffing out with every new burst. Eventually it started to pool and swish, churning around until each candle that dwelled within was gone. Nothing left but a growing lake of relief, and the withering stench of burning smoke in the air.

Infinity watched the churning waves silently, whispering silent prayers for all the souls she'd extinguished. Within her heart she could feel the weight lifting, the tension in the air fading. It was done. But of course, like everything she was not allowed to enjoy her brief moment of reprieve. For the walls began to shake as a great voice loud and booming slithered all around. It was sharp as a knife, cutting the very air. Heat suddenly swelled up all around her, like she'd been caught within a volcano. She called out for the Roshan and Lyyreth as the cavern began to fade, replaced with all but a darkness and intense heat about her scales.

Laughter slithered into her ears along a wicked tongue, one that would strike fear into the hearts of mortals. It told her it had her captured, trembling, and in mere moments her soul would be his.

Had she failed? She panicky flailed against the darkness around her, getting nothing but less oxygen for her trouble. She'd done everything the unicorn had wanted! Why wasn't Lyyreth free? The demon was supposed to be weaker right? Why was she being consumed instead? She found her words stuck in her throat as she tried to scream.

"You have to let it go!" Roshan's horn pierced the darkness, revealing the countryside back around them. She was still holding Lyyreth's snout, her claws trembling against his scales.

Let it go? Her stomach lurched, she wretched like a cat. She coughed and squirmed until with a final hack the demon was to be released. From her throat came a darkened cloud of smoke. It screamed with the same voice as it's used for Lyyreth, thrashing wildly in the air. There was some vile threat whispered in a forgotten tongue before the galling winds ripped it to pieces. Scattering its tiny motes to oblivion. As if in celebration the wind died, the cold sped away, and all the debris around them came crashing down around the field.

"Lyyreth!" Infinity pounced to the male, who'd collapsed the moment she'd hacked out the darkened force. He was unconscious but very much alive. She sighed in relief, nearly collapsing right there beside him. Every scale and limb she had felt as though it'd been dragged for countless miles through a desert. She tapped him a few times until he awoke with a gasp, nearly loud as she'd been.

"Infinity?" He said softly, blinking as he regained his senses. He looked around, his frills suddenly flaring outwards. His eyes widened into pleased slits as he screamed his joy to the heavens. "Its gone! It's gone!" He practically leaped to all fours. "The echo is gone!" He pressed his snout right to hers, giving Infinity the biggest kiss he could muster.

She sighed and pressed inward, sighing against his lips. Each moment a shiver of pure delight traveling down her spine. They broke away for only a moment, wrapping their necks around one another as they purred and warbled softly in unison.

"Thank you, thank you." He said quietly, pulling her tightly against him.

Here they remained for what seemed like hours. She wrapped her wings around him as he shook. Against all odds she'd somehow done it. She cried, and so did he. Finally unburdened by this wretched demon. When they could finally stand, they pranced around the hill, leaped for joy. They even tumbled and rolled around the grassy field in unfettered moments of bliss. All until they were out of breath, scales lit with an enchanting warmth, staring long fully into each other's eyes.

"I think I love you." Lyyreth's frills turned dark, but he didn't shy away.

Though her heart fluttered and leaped from her chest she maintained her cool. With a casual smirk she rolled her eyes and nuzzled his cheek. "Next time try not telling me when demons are involved. I might believe you."

"But its tru-"

She silenced him with a delightful kiss. One that brought life to both their tails. When they parted, she was certain the air around her was far warmer. "Okay fine." She pressed cheek to his, purring gently. "Maybe I love you to. Just don't go blabbing it around to everyone."

To her surprise he didn't object, simple wrapping his wings around her and nuzzling ever harder. She could melt into his touch, affix her scales to his. So delightful was his embrace that she never wanted to leave. Roshan was all but forgotten, as was the misery they'd endured. That was until a solitary snort drew them from their joyful realm.

"On that note. You must depart." The ivory horse's eyes flicked to the ever-glowing horizon. "Your actions have no doubt drew attention, and sadly our foe doesn't care of all the joyous outbursts of life on display."

"But where will we go?" She blurted without thinking, unwinding herself from her green love. "Will we have to go along the path again?" She couldn't help but shiver.

"No. I have the power to return you to the moral realm. Safe from their golden claws."

"Golden?" She stared to the horizon, finding streaks of shimmering gold racing from the trees. Whatever they were they had wings, and she didn't really want to meet them.

"Indeed." The unicorn padded the grass. "Despite the removal of this realm, his minions still dwell here. Such was the length of his reach."

She turned to Lyyreth, seeing the heartbreak written on his snout. She nuzzled at him with a whine, knowing what he was to say.

"I think we should head back to mothers. Even she deserves to hear that her son died."

She nodded. While not of the greatest outcomes, she understood. She'd have to manage her anger towards the green dragoness.

"Died?" Roshan's head pulled back in surprise, his ears twitching to and fro. "But your sibling has not perished."

The air froze as both dragon's eyes widened to saucer plates.

"Say that again?" Lyyreth flared his wings, stomping his claws to the grass. "If this is your idea of a joke it isn't funny."

Now even more perplexed Roshan shied away, even while Infinity watched on with baited breath. "The spirit that claimed him doesn't kill it's prey. Well not at first. He will be bound within it for at least a thousand years, being slowly absorbed."

"But he can be saved?" Infinity spoke shakily, sliding beside Lyyreth as he trembled. She could see he was almost to tears.

The unicorn nodded, but did so with a heavy sigh. He gestured to the golden streaks slithering ever closer. "The wraiths will be soon upon us...And your sibling. So, enticed by his blood. Like a siren's call they will be drawn. If they capture you both, then here you shall remain."

"But Cordenth will be alive." How her heart wavered, dreading the answer that was to come. They'd just gotten him back. How could they abandon him so easily?

"That he will be."

As Lyyreth mumbled and concocted his plan, Infinity was already to him. Around him her wing went. She nuzzled along his cheeks when he glanced to her. "We will go to that mother of yours. I doubt even she'd let her son remain in this hell hole of a place."

Lyyreth's smile came as a weakened thing, but clearly still alive. "Its not...the best of out comes...But it's a chance."

"And when we get your mother to rip him out of that thing...Hope his pretty face isn't ruined." She nodded, "Does that princess of his have a thing for scars?"

Though they laughed softly at the idea, her heart trembled for the state they would find him in. Surely with the Emerald Lady's help, anything would be possible. They returned attentions back to Roshan as he began to swish his horn through the air.

Billowing lights crackled and sprung to life, slicing through the air like a blade. Brilliant, multicolored flashes curled around them like thin twine, wrapping tightly around their scales. It left no impression or evidence of it's contact, simply growing ever larger before their eyes. In a heartbeat's time it consumed them entirely, before she could even whisper her thanks. No one would believe their story, that an avatar from a god aided them I their time of need. None save perhaps the dragon at her side, and the mother that bore him.

Sounds came rushing with her next breaths, a cacophony of forest sounds that tickled at her ears. Colors swirled and sprung into various shapes as the world wove it's way around them. Infinity wobbled and shook, blinking away the confusion that set itself upon her. She could smell wheat, the crisp air, and the ever-familiar aura of dragon mixed with pine.

"Lyyreth!" She spun around the great field they found themselves in, nuzzling at the surprised green dragon's scales. She nearly hissed at the sun shining in her eyes, but it didn't matter. She tackled him to the field and flopped with him to the ground.

"Nice to see you too." He groaned, weakly batting at her snout.

"We're home." She stood proudly, letting the fair breeze wash along her scales. Though how long they'd been in the fairy realm remained to be seen, she was just glad that they were back Sethera. The place that didn't have dozens of strange plants, illusions meant to confuse you, or skys that changed to shades of purple.

"Finally." Lyyreth pulled himself to all fours, pinning his wings to his side. For a moment he looked exhausted, but in a single long breath his inner light was relit. "I suppose the plan is to rescue that brother of mine. Only a matter of time. Will be interesting to see mother again after such a short time. Wonder if she'll be as joyful?" He padded along, shaking his scales and flaring out his wings. "And to fly again...How my wings itch for it once more."

She couldn't' disagree, as she unfurled her own. "As do mine. They whisper to me right now." She was quick to his side, tapping his wing tips with hers. "Though how jovial you sound at meeting your mother." She rolled her eyes. "Remember that we're not staying. I can only stand so much of the dragoness."

"Oh I know." He bowed, "Only long as we need."

"One adventure down I suppose." She sighed, testing her wings on the air. The anticipation swirling in her blood was almost unbearable. "Another on the horizon."

"So, it would seem!" He charged forward into the sky, quickly spirally upward in a joyous warble of delight.

Pouncing into the vast blue, she was right beside him, climbing ever higher into the heavens to where no other called their domain. Days or months of no flight melted off her with every flap of her membranes, each breath was more relaxing than an afternoon of sun lounging. Even the fact they were seeking the Emerald Lady out was dulled. With hardly an effort she raced towards the green dragon her heart swelled for, teasing at his scales with a claw as she passed under him. "Just no more demons next time alright?" She smirked before shooting past him, laughing how his nose wrinkled. "I've had my fill of them for a lifetime."

-The End

* * * * * *

Hopefully everyone has enjoyed this despite the delays. Looking back it has been quite the journey indeed! I will go back and remove mentions of hadariel and such. Move it to it's own story. Originally it was going to tie in, but then I realized that it needed it's own thing instead. That will be done in the days ahead, but I figured I'd get this out of the way.

Whats next on the agenda? I plan to go back and give book 3 of Arc and Veledar a hefty editing pass. You might see some things change, plot points shift. Some chapters moved to legacy bits as I get a better narrative flow. Then I will start typing up chapters for the next one. Think I'm going to call it, "The Shattered God."