Chapter 20

Empty were the halls deeper that they traversed with their silent guide. They traded scattered rocks and brutalized corpses for corners lines with pipes and wires, lowly growling with latent power. Though the air grew heavier and warmer with every step, inside Lyndis' belly an icy grip had taken hold. What state would they find Cordenth in when they found him? Would it be too late for the crown upon his horn? She was glad to hold tight the catforms of Lyyreth and Night Rising, it kept her from visibly shaking at the thoughts.

The construct said little, not even questioning their complacency as before. It marched, unburdened by the solemn atmosphere, letting metal doors open without word before them. When it announced the final door before them, Lyndis unsheathed her weapon she'd been concealing with a spell of invisibility. With a thunderous crack, lightning swelled into existence, rippling down the metal constructs limbs. It burst like a melon, gears clattering to the iron floor.

“Was that needed?" Asked Lyyreth, emerging from a cloud of lavender smoke, returned to his draconic form.

“I don't know, I liked it." Night Rising added with a rumble, batting aside the oil-soaked corpse. “I can see why your brother likes her."

Lyndis clutched absentmindedly at her pouches, tracing over the crown hidden within. Her first few steps were tentative, the air heavy and thick with the smell of oil and steel. Darkness clung to this place like a mold, desperate to eat away at any source of light provided, even the source of flame Lyndis brought to life in her shivering hand. There was a hunger here, deep, and powerful.

“You know, as someone that can't smell magic…I can feel the power here. Should I be concerned?"

“And yet, of course he walked into here." Huffed Night Rising, sticking close, her ears pinned to her snout as she searched the metal walls, “Even if he saw an illusion, how could he not feel the wrong coming from this place?"

Lyyreth exchanged a look with Lyndis, both knowing the answer but being afraid to say. Clearly what drew Cordenth here was stronger than they both thought. Would Ossai's charm even work to bring back the one they adored? Lyndis pressed close to the green dragon's side, slipping a hand into her pouch, and procuring the thorn covered crown. It seemed to tremble in her grasp, even it too afraid to linger in this place.

“Don't tell me." Night Rising searched them both, “How fucked are we?"

The answer would have to wait, for Cordenth was found within the corner, coiled on himself. His snout didn't rise to greet them, he stared off into oblivion, his frills fluttering back and forth. What breaths he took were shallow. Gold scales now had spread from his underside into the greens that covered the rest of him, they winked in the light, hinting at sinister plights. What words he spoke were soft, disorientated, adding something about his daughter.

“Cordenth?" Lyndis was the first to speak, heart sinking to the depths of her chest as she spied the shattered crystal at his paws. They were already too late. “Is that you?" Her first few steps were tentative, would she look upon him and see the dragon she'd come to love? Or a stranger looking at her through his eyes? As the unease settled upon the air, the dragon only answered with fragmented statements, as though madness had already grabbed it's steadfast hold.

“Brother, she didn't come alone. Can you hear us?" Lyyreth lowered his snout in a submissive way, voice soft and close to cracking, “It's good to see you alive. Infinity is here as well, she bested the demon that had hold of me."

“You had a demon trying to-“ Lyndis shook her head, those were questions for another time.

“Infinity? Lyyreth?" Cordenth's snout softly rose, golden eyes traveling to each of them as they stood still. The green dragon mumbled something under his breath, curling in his tail. “Why would they come here?" He grunted, starting to trace a claw across the floor.

“Ooh boy, he's gone bonkers." Infinity groaned, ears pinned to her snout, “Hey, emerald prince charming, are you in there? Whatever's happened to you, whatever pain now has you? We can help you through it-“

“Why would they be here? Both of them left me in a spirit plant." Cordenth muttered with a growl, “To be kept alive in agonizing pain for thousands of years."

“We had no choice, you told us to-“

Lyndis waved them to silence, holding fast their only hope. It would appear as though simply talking to the green dragon wouldn't work. They were to him like a phantom, shrouded thick with fog. She whispered a prayer to herself, that Ossai's final gesture would not be in vain. She conjured an illusion of herself, perfect down to the last detail, clever enough to hold a conversation, perfect for it's role as a decoy. She had it approach, arms held together, giving the dragon the typical sad eyes that men found hard to resist, while she worked her magic to procure a floating, translucent hand to silently creep behind the dragon to slip the crown on one of his now golden horns.

“Cordenth." The illusion whispered, it's voice cracking, close to tears “I'm here."

“Lyndis?" Replied Cordenth, his voice weak and wounded. His eyes squinted at the image, as though his sight was clouded. “Is that you? I can hardly see you. Is something wrong?"

“Nothing is wrong Cordenth, we've come to help you. Myself, your brother and Infinity. You went off on your own again, trying to be the big hero." The image gave a saddened laugh, “Come on, save some of the heroism for us too you know."

“How will I impress you then?" He weakly smiled before collapsing to the ground in a fit of coughing, paws grasping at the air.

She almost ran to him, but held herself in check, keeping her advancing pace as calm as the silver highland mountains, having her illusion instead approach, asking if the dragon was alright.

“Never been better." Cordenth bellowed, thumping his chest with a paw, “Just a tickle in the throat, nothing to be concerned with."

“Are you sure? Tonight you surely did not act as yourself."

As he fixed his eyes upon the illusion, they seemed to swell, regret swirling within his golden pools. He sniffed, drooping his head, “Lyndis, I'm so sorry…I never meant to…I would never…And yet" He stared to his now shaking paws, scowling at the dark green pad, “You must hate me…And you have a right to."

“Shh, it's alright." She had the illusion say, as she tried to distance the pain of that memory from her mind, it was something they could work through later. For now, she needed to focus on the task at hand, keep him talking. Even now, the crown was ever so close from his horn, “I know it wasn't your fault, but we have a way to fix what was done to you. I just need you to sit still and trust me. We can fix what is wrong with you."

“Fix me?" He raised his snout, missing the crown by inches. To Infinity and Lyyreth he turned, squinting as though he perceived them through a haze, “What needs fixing? Brother? Infinity?" His snout curled into a snarl, “Come to finish the job after leaving me for dead?"

“I didn't want to leave you!" Infinity's eyes widened as she trembled, “You insisted!"

“And we've come to save you know." Interjected Lyyreth, pressing down a paw, “Mother said you might be manipulated by someone. We need you to focus and sit still."

Cordenth swung his head, again, missing the floating crown. Golden eyes narrowed, gears turned into place. With a terrible growl the green dragon rose, “I get it now. You're not here for your own ends, but schemes of mother's. Even now, she turns loved ones against me old and new." He snapped to Lyndis with a snarl, “Even you."

“You think I'd let her sway me Cordy?" Lyndis scoffed as the dragon stood tall, looming over her illusion with a threatening growl, “She'd be better off trying to get honey out of a gryphon."

“I'd like to believe that Lyndis, I really do. But something is off about you now, betraying the words which you speak. You say to save me, that you care for me, but at the same time, your heart beats so swift I could dance to the beat. One wonders why you're so frightful now, is it that mother's scheme is about to be revealed?"

“That's impossible." She had the illusion say with a defeated sigh, even adding a sniffle as if she were about to cry. “She'd dead Cordenth, I saw it with my own eyes. Whatever scheme or plot she'd concocted before this night, they came crashing down. I worry that I'm losing you, that the dragon I've come to know is flying away, leaving me far behind. Whatever you've done this night it's not your doing, I don't blame you, the plan died with her this night."

“Mother…Dead?" Cordenth pressed back against the wall in shock, his paws trembling. The gold that'd been slithering along his scales seemed to dim, recede back into greens and blacks. “No…That's impossible…How could she be?" He looked to Lyyreth, eyes wide, “She knows everything, sees the future, plots and schemes to no end. How can she of anyone be dead?"

“The future is not what she thought. It shifts and changes like the waves. She realized that, trying to undo what damage she's done to others, and you."

“I don't believe you." He shook his head, lashing his tail with a thud. “Infinity, Lyyreth, she's talking madness, surely?"

The dragons stayed silent, mournful expressions about them.

“I saw it with my own eyes." Lyyreth whined, “And I still don't know how."

“No, no, no." Cordenth shook his head.

As the dragon wailed and begged to be comforted, Lyndis nearly did so. But the illusion had no physical form, the spell would be revealed. Instead, with a heavy heart, she placed the crown around his horn. With a swell of power, light sparkled across the thorny surface. It started to shift and tighten, ensnaring the dragon's horn like a vicious python. That's when he started screaming.

“It burns, it burns!" Cordenth bellowed, collapsing to the floor and digging crimson lines through the flesh of his snout. He curled upon himself with a trembling tail, desperately trying to reach the horn that now sizzled and glowed with the intensity of the sun. “What have you done?" He asked of them, eyes welling with tears, “Why have you betrayed me?"

Her heart nearly leaped from her chest. What had they done? Had Ossai tricked them a final time? Without another thought, Lyndis went to rush to his side, rip off what she'd ensnared around his horn. But as she took her first step, she found a green leathery wing blocking her path. It was Lyyreth's snout that gave her a stern look, one as color drained as she knew hers was.

“We must let it work." He said softly, wincing as Cordenth's screams seemed to tear apart the air, “No matter what."

“I trusted you, all of you!" Wailed Cordenth, crimson rivers oozing from his eyes. Lightning swelled and crackled across his scales and horns, equal parts beauty and deadly. It pierced ceiling and floor alike, ripping through mechanical creations as easily as paper. The steel sizzled and glowed hot, melting under such fury. When he finally collapsed with his eyes held tightly shut, an uneasy calm over came the control room. The air smelled of burned metal and roasted flesh, a soft wind swept across them.

Unable to take it any longer, Lyndis maneuvered herself under Lyyreth's wing, rushing to the side of her now whimpering dragon. The gold that had dominated his scales was gone, his onyx under scales and horns having returned to normal. She too started to cry as she fell to her knees at his side, as he shook she offered a tender hand, stroking along his oil covered cheek.

“It's alright, we're here now." She whispered, “It's over now."

“I trusted you." He whimpered, paws quivering, “I trusted you."

“I'm sorry, but it had to be done." She trembled, tears running down her cheeks. Tenderly she stroked his frills, pressing close against his shivering body, “But now we can go back to the way things were…Before this terrible curse…Before what your mother did. Gods know I hated her, but she brought you back to me." She wrapped her arms around his snout, burying her face against his scales, onto him she shivered, letting out all her pain and hopelessness. “Thank the gods above."

“I wouldn't go thanking them just yet." Growled Cordenth, golden light swelling behind his eyes. He snatched around her throat with a powerful paw, squeezing tight as the black of his scales once more returned to gold. He tore her from him as though she were an insect, struggling and gasping at this sudden turn. As Lyyreth and Infinity shouted in alarm, he waved his other paw, molding the steel bulkhead under their hinds, forging a wall of twisted metal between them. Their snarls were music to his ears as he stared into Lyndis' eyes with terrible cruelty, ever tightening his grip.

“Cordenth…What are you doing?" Lyndis struggled utter, holding his paws as she tried to free herself. But his grip was strong, far more than she'd ever be able to break. In his golden eyes she saw the horror she'd feared, a stranger looking upon her. Cordenth was gone.

“Isn't it obvious my little half-elf pet? Ridding myself of what is no longer needed." Replied the dragon with an almost chortle, “I'd thought to keep you, break you in, but you went and proved your true colors…How disappointing."

“You…bastard." She hissed, managing to unsheathe a dagger. If she couldn't break his grip by force, she'd use pain. With what strength she had she stabbed into the flesh, spilling his blood across her chest. But the dragon didn't recoil or relinquish his hold, he merely laughed at her defiance.

“Was that supposed to save you?" He chuckled, dismissing the shouts and sounds of claws upon his steel wall. “You like to think yourself the hero in this story little Lyndis, but there is nothing to fix about me. Dragons are not beholden to the minds of lesser creatures. You and your ilk are greedy, selfish blights upon this plane. Backstabbing filth without a dragon to properly guide you to greatness. Take solace in witnessing my rebirth, and the return of dragon dominion throughout this realm."

Stars burst before her eyes, her lungs burned, the grip on her blade waned. So, this was going to be how she met her end? If was going to be like this, like hell she was going out without the last word. She laughed, her voice practically a whisper as her face turned blue, “Tiamat? What a joke, nothing but a little…Bitch."

“Pity." Tiamat snorted, flicking his tail, “Yet unsurprising." With a casual swipe of his sharpened claws, he tore through her pitiful leathers like a heated knife through butter. The painfilled gasp was music to his ears. With a wicked laugh down his scaled throat he tossed the half-elven princess to the floor like trash, letting her marinate in her own juices. He had more pressing matters to attend to. Wheeling around he bellowed at the determination of the two younger dragons beyond his wall, the steel glowed as if it were in a forge.

“Let her go!" Roared the dragoness Infinity as she broke through the wall with such force, it was mere parchment before her. Electricity crackled around his scales as blue flames rippled through the air from his flaring nostrils. Even her eyes were practically aflame.

Tiamat gestured to Lyndis broken body with a wing. His muscles tensed, eyes narrowed with purpose. “You shouldn't concern yourselves with the wellbeing of such creatures."

“Lyndis!" Lyyreth drifted from Infinity's snarling side, color draining from his snout as he beheld the crimson-stained form of the now gurgling Lyndis. She wouldn't last much longer, that much was certain. He went to go to her, but Tiamat put himself between them with a threatening growl. He wasn't going to let them take her. “Infinity." Lyyreth hissed, his tail lashing behind him, “I need you to get Lyndis and get out of here. You know where to go, you're the faster flier, we both know it. Don't fight me please, she's going to die if she doesn't get aid."

“You can't be serious." She growled, tail swaying, not letting her eyes drift from Cordenth for even a moment. “Whatever this is will tear you apart."

“You speak as though I'd let you take her away from me." Growled Tiamat, a spark of light from a metal console revealed his twisted shadow, of a dragon with two flailing heads. “Lyndis is mine, even in death. You'd be leaving Lyyreth here to a slaughter."

“Don't listen to him." Lyyreth interjected, snapping his jaws as Cordenth circled around them, “Ferry her away, she is far more important than I."

“Not to me." Snarled Infinity, “You're asking me to trade her life for yours!"

“If it comes to that." He summoned magic to his paws, gaining the strength of three dragons. If his brother wouldn't move, then he'd make him. With a wiggle of his haunches, he leaped upon Tiamat with a tremendous snarl, dragging the green dragon to the ground with a snarl. There they wrestled with tooth and claw, smashing each other's snouts to the ground with tremendous strength. The way was clear to Lyndis.

Infinity hesitated, her ears flickering as she fought the urge to leap upon them and pull Lyyreth's ass out of the fire. Yet his words hung heavy over her, manipulating her movements till she was by Lyndis' side. Snarling the dragoness beheld the blood-soaked body, grabbing her swiftly with a forepaw. “You better be worth this."  With a ruffling of her wings, she'd hobbled off, only offering the green dragons a parting glance before disappearing out the door.

Lyyreth found himself hurled off his former brother, slammed into the bulkhead, his back exploding in pain. He tumbled with a groan, only just managing to avoid a savage clawing across the neck. With a powerful kick of his hinds, he tossed his emerald attacker off into the opposite wall, smashing consoles and snapping pipes below his bulk. He'd only managed enough time to clamber to all fours, panting with effort, noting the blood upon his paws. His or his brothers? He tasted blood in his snout, eyeing the door, only for steel to bend and shape, sealing him in.

“You should have run when you had the chance young Lyyreth, for now you're trapped in here with me." Rumbled Tiamat, his voice dripping with confidence, “Not very wise of you."

“Some might call it noble." He leaped away as his brother's tail lashed down at him, denting the floor. Had he grown stronger? He maneuvered away as claws batted through the air, slicing at Tiamat's side with his claws. Was Cordenth bigger? He stood across from the green dragon, smoke starting to pool around their paws. Cordenth's body certainly looked twice as large as it had before, smirking with that evil glint, taunting Lyyreth further.

“How is the adrenaline coursing through your veins young one? The taste of blood in your snout, the knowledge that you still live?" He took a step forward, a spark of light revealing twin, thrashing heads within his shadow. “Can you feel the connection that we share? That you and I are of blood?"

“I know who you are. You bend my brother's body as if it were a puppet, mother spoke of you."

“You're mother?" Tiamat laughed deep and terrible, leaping upon Lyyreth with renewed strength.

Claws bit at one another, tasting blood, teeth sunk deep into flesh. All around the control room they wrestled, grunting as they destroyed what remained. Together they roared and snarled, a storm of claws they were, never once sitting still. It only came to an end when Tiamat flipped Lyyreth onto his back, grunting as he slammed the younger dragon beneath his weight. With delight shining in his golden eyes, he pressed himself down upon Lyyreth, diggings his claws into his chest.

“Your mother never existed little dragon. She was nothing but a sliver of me, a section of my consciousness given life. I am the only family you have little dragon, and once I'm through with you, you'll be prepared for this world."

“I have a father." Lyyreth snarled, blood dripping copiously down his snout, his vision dizzy. “His name is Croesu-“

He didn't finish, for Tiamat slammed the dragon's head against the floor with such tremendous strength, his unchipped horn shattered at it's middle. Lyyreth went limp below him, welcoming in an uneasy silence. Tiamat relinquished his grip with a deep bellow, flailing his tail and announcing his victory to the stars above.