Duty Chapter 6
#6 of Duty
Duty
Chapter 6
By: David C. Henry ("Ahndeleck")
Cellista remained inside the temple far longer than any of the others. Motungo felt certain everyone else sensed the surge of raw power, no one could have missed it. The presence of so much wind energy could only have meant that Sharoc had chosen her, but had called forth something truly terrible to test her. Most tests he had heard, the dragons couldn't tell which god had chosen the one that had gone inside. This time, everyone knew.
Eventually the energy faltered and faded away. She had to have made it. I know she'd make it through, there isn't a thing that Sharoc could send her way she couldn't handle. She'll be fine, I know she'll be fine. By the gods let her come out alright, I don't want to see her hurt.
Everyone waited. Then nervous exchanges began at the edges of the temple among the older dragons. Motungo wished he could rush in to help her. She's hurt, I know it. I should go in there. If only those damned heads of the covenant would let me go in there with her. Maybe they'll ask for volunteers. Motungo could see himself rushing into the temple. Reaching the center stage, he would find Cellista wounded, and he would stand over her and protect her from whatever foul creature Sharoc had pitted against her. Then he remembered that the creature, whatever it had been, had gone.
He waited, and worried even more. Azerzan's closed his eyes, and looked years older suddenly as he turned to one of the other dragons at the edge of the temple. He motioned with a wing for the dragon to check inside. Just as she left her post, several triumphant roars erupted from the gathered crowd.
Motungo snapped his attention back to the entrance, and saw the dark blue form of his Cellista. She held her head high, her plates and horn now a polished blue, the color of the sky itself. For a second Motungo could only stare in awe as the most beautiful figure he had ever laid eyes on walked out of the temple. Then the sight of blood on her flanks made his throat catch, but only for a moment. Despite the wounds, she walked perfectly, and her face beamed only with pride. The gods themselves gave him this gift, and he cherished and loved her.
The world returned to him then, the roars and cheers of everyone around him deafened his ears. Motungo spread his wings and released his own pride and praise to her. The cacophony continued far longer than ant other reception. Finally Azerzan waved for the rest of the covenant to return to silence. After the voices died down, Azerzan smiled in Cellista's direction.
"Cellista," he said, "obviously the gods wished a true challenge for you, and you've succeeded." Another round of cheers began, but Azerzan held up a wing, "Silence, enough. We have others that need to Attune yet.
"Motungo, I believe you shall be next. May the gods be just as interested, and you just as successful."
The old dragon stepped aside then, leaving Motungo to head to his future within the temple. He looked back at Cellista, she smiled broadly at him. He swelled his chest and grinned back at her. Then he returned his thoughts to the Attunement and showing Cellista just what sort of dragon he could be. Whatever lay within the temple, he would dominate it completely.
He walked quickly, with as much purpose and power as he could display. He felt the rise of power within the temple just as he felt the eyes of everyone watching him enter. Walking towards the central hall, the swirl of growing power grew ahead of him.
The sanctuary glowed with the presence of the gods. He gaped in awe as he walked slowly towards the stage. His heart raced as he climbed the steps to the stage. Each soundless flame seemed to shift as if each looked at one another. Do I say something here? Maybe I do something for them. This can't be too hard, even Malmain went through this and he's only as smart as dirt.
"So this is Motungo?" The dark brown flame of Fila pulsed, "What do you think? I like him."
"Nothing special." Maur-Des rumbled, "I'll pass on this one."
"What do you mean 'nothing special'?" Motungo turned to face Maur-Des, but the flame had already turned to embers. "What does he-"
"Certainly has a temper doesn't he? Zymarrin, he could be-"
"All of you silence!"
Motungo jumped like a startled cat. The heavy cold voice snarled through the sanctuary, and each flame flickered. A thunderous crash followed after the echos died away, and the doorways leading out all fell shut. A new trickle of fear and anxiety ran down Motungo's spine and en-wrapped his heart.
"Now all of you, begone. He and I have business."
Each flame died with the chilling words. Motungo felt the presence of each of the gods fizzle and dissipate in seconds. The lights from the gods gone, the sanctuary drifted through pure darkness. Then a purplish pink glow began to grow slowly above him. Fear grew in his heart as Motungo rose his gaze to the new ghostly light above him.
"Mixcoatl."
"I knew you would recognize me." The voice sounded pleased. "I'd like to claim you as my own. None of these other gods could understand the-"
"Never!" Motungo roared, "I'll never belong to the Thief. Leave this place or I'll summon the entire covenant!"
The glow grew slowly until large gobs of light drifted in a slow swirl around the ceiling. Shadows danced around the sanctuary in slow arcs. Motungo backed slowly away from the stage. Tiamat, what do I do? Do I run? I need help. This can't be right.
"I don't believe the other dragons get a choice on which god chooses them do they? What makes you think that you have a choice?"
"The gods are our allies, you're the Thief. You can't take a dragon as your own, we don't belong to you."
"We'll see. There is one that I would very much like, but she's already taken. The situation just wasn't proper for me to take her. You though, well, I'll let one of my Virtues talk with you."
The light drifted above him, but Motungo felt the shifting of a kind of magic that could only be wrong. It twisted wrong, it sparked at the wrong times, it flowed when it should have ebbed and diminished when it should have grown. The god was preparing something.
Motungo backed himself to the wall, every angle could be death, every shadow could be an adversary. He pulled a set of three wisps out and let them drift near paw. Maybe I should pull another and gamble. I can't let a wisp loose though, I'll need everything I have. Gods help me, the covenant has to see what's going on. They'll be here in moments.
He heard a rattle in the dark shadows at the other end of the sanctuary. A shape moved into the dim light far from him. Then another rattle and the shape came closer, a boney head of another dragon glowed before him across the stage. Its shape was full, but it looked like every inch of it's body was made of a nearly black bone. The eyes glowed a brilliant, powerful, wrongly pink. Its slender form climbed to the stage and spread its impossible wings, inches of scale like bone webbing rattled as it unfurled.
"Motungo." The creature called, "I've waited a very long time to meet you. You look better in person than anyone has ever described to me."
It sounded like a dragoness, it even vaguely looked like a dragoness. In clearer light and it it was still, the thing might look like a statue of a gorgeous dragoness made from solid gray bone. It's voice sounded seductive, despite its hollow tones. Motungo shivered, the creature was wrong and evil.
"What are you? Stay away from me or I'll-"
"You haven't even heard what I was going to say." It paused then took a step closer to him, "Everyone I've talked to said you were a gentleman." Again it paused and stepped closer, "You've been given a chance to have a brilliant life, a new sort of life. This is something few dragons ever get the chance to-"
"I don't care about any sort of life with the Thief. Take your offers and go creature."
"You could call me Mercy, instead of creature. Its a little more civilized I would think. I'm offering you a chance at a life easier than the path you seem to be trying to take now. Those outside these walls are going to do unspeakable things to you Motungo. I'm give you a single chance to escape this tortured life for one devoid of their presence.
"You see my master, Mixcoatl, has taken a liking to the dragoness named Cellista. She could help bring a balance back to the whole world. She could help return magic to its rightful state. But now, the only way that this can happen is through you Motungo. If you come with me, I can give you the mask of another god, and powers like my own. That alone should tempt you, but Mixcoatl wants to give you and Cellista even more. He would like to offer you and your beautiful temptress the life of a Virtue. Take it from me, it's a wonderful life Motungo. And I would love to see more of you around. I think I'd enjoy Cellista's lovely company as well."
The image of Cellista gazing up at him flashed though his mind's eye. I could never give her to the Thief, never. Motungo released a growl more menacing than the foul creature before him. He snatched at the silvery wisp floating around his paw, and tossed it in a single motion toward the boney figure. The wisp solidified into a globe of bright silver light as it struck the creature in the neck.
It stopped advancing, and a large hole appeared where the burst hit it. The material of the neck grew back, filling in the hole quickly. This really is one one of the Thief's Virtues, I can't stop it. Despair began creeping into his mind, a cold chilly realization that this monster would kill him began dawning in his mind.
Mercy looked down at its neck for a moment, then sneered playfully. "And this is all that the mighty Motungo can do for me? You didn't even really give me an answer for this beautiful chance I'm giving you. I'm surprised you've thrown it aside so quickly. You'll regret this day little dragon, I'm sure of that."
It turned quickly, flaring its wings as it did so. Motungo felt the movement of magic from the creature back towards the shadows, but couldn't see what it did with the power. On your guard, it'll turn back and strike. Watch it, watch for flows, watch for wisps. It just walked away though, rattling with each step. As it began creeping into the shadows, another shape emerged.
This creature only appeared as a blackened skeleton of a dragon. As the beast calling itself Mercy disappeared, the new creature advanced up to the stage. A Boneweaver. This has to be a trick, Mercy must be waiting for me. Gods where is the covenant? Where are the hunters?
Motungo brought another wisp from within himself to replace the one he had thrown, as the Boneweaver opened its mouth to mimic a soundless roar. Motungo let a green wisp fly from his hand, and willed it into a thick sheet of water. He released his control on the changing substance as it neared the Boneweaver's feet. Work, just knock it off balance for a second, please. With a grunt of effort he pushed himself forward and bounded over the stairs and onto the stage.