Dragon's Roar - 5. Chapter 5

“You brought me here for a reason, some birthright I am supposed to lay claim to. I’ll accept this name you’ve been calling me, show me what it is I need to do,” Morgana couldn’t help but smile as this boy stood before herself and Mordred.

“What makes you think you can begin making demands now,” Mordred questioned, looking down at that boy who but weeks ago would all but shrink before him.

“If you meant for me to perish you would have done so long ago, with that being said I can only ascertain there is another reason I still yet live and can more or less do as I please. So, I say again, show me what needs to be done.” Urien stared up at the dragon, his hatred for the creature who was responsible for the demise of his parents still flowed with a burning intensity. He would get him in due time, but at present, there was another that was not the focus of his ire.

“Ah, mistress it would appear as though this one has found something of a spine, the time has indeed come for his education to properly begin,” Morgana looked amused as the two left their hidden enclave. Things were now proceeding as planned, once the seed of darkness properly bloomed within the boy, she would move to lay claim to its power and bring this kingdom to its knees as the one and true ruler.

****  

Levi found himself lost in thought, looking out over the place he called home. He had spent the last few weeks reflecting on the consequences of his journey seeking to correct the damage he had caused during his journey of awakening. The subjects of the kingdom saw fit to remove him from blame however; Levi was not one to accept such notions.

“When your mind is so fiercely focused, it is all but impossible to grasp,” Merlin smiled at his disciple

“Why did you not tell me, if you are to be my guide shouldn't I be my privy to the path I walk,” Levi questioned. He knew deep down there was no one else to blame, but he felt his master could have better informed him.

“Young master, this journey is one of your makings. Though the path may be similar to those who have walked it before, each must make it their own. These trials not only serve to strengthen you but also those you are to protect. Your need to accept blame blinds you from the true reformation which is taking place. You look out over your kingdom, but you do not truly see,”

Levi once again took in the sight of the kingdom before him, a smile slowly covering his face. “Ah, I see the young master has begun to understand,”

“As I strive to reforge a new balance of the elements, the land which we inhabit has begun to shift in our image, it is not destruction that is being brought forth, but creation. Sune’s awakening brought about new bodies of water. Rivers and lakes flow which were not present before. Vincent’s evolution has brought about new mountain ranges, peaks, and valleys. We bathe in a comforting warmth similar to that of my mate, of which I long to enjoy every night we are able to lay beside one another. This is not my journey alone, but a journey for all of us as we expand this place, we call home.”

****  

Zephyr could barely stand; the water dragon was nothing to shake a stick at and he could himself grow frustrated knowing Sune was still holding back. This progress was too slow for his liking, they had been at this for weeks yet the gap between them only seemed to be growing larger. The harder he tried the wider the gap seemed to be. Zephyr froze at that moment, he was trying too hard, trying to be something he was not.

Sune smirked as Zephyr shook off his frustration, flapping his wings and shedding feathers. His gaze was set upon the water dragon and his talons poised to strike. “Ah, at last, it seems you are in it to win, good now let us test that resolve of yours,”

“You know you don’t have to watch over me, I only exhausted myself that one time and it was a lot of power to hold back,” Sage huffed as Bastion sat beside him. Sage had come out to see how things were progressing with the new wind drake of whom he had not spent very much time in the presence.

“I know you can more than take care of yourself, but did you ever stop to consider that with things calm for once I just wanted to sit beside my soon to be husband,”

Sage blushed, it was not yet widespread news, and it was only just recently they expressed their commitment to each other, Sage was still caught off guard by Bastion's sweeter moments. “The king does keep us busy, I'm sorry for questioning your intentions,” Sage felt at peace as he leaned against Bastion. “How did the negotiations go?”

Bastion buried his face in the crook of Sage’s neck as he let out a sigh. “They went as well as we could expect, the reds were quite amicably given recent events, but the council was as difficult as always. It goes to show us all just how much Jin has changed, as those old dragons still have their head attached to their shoulders,” Bastion chuckled, the image of smoke pouring out of Jin’s nostrils as elders seemed to grate on every last nerve he had left.

“At least his mood is less likely to sour with Levi still in the kingdom for the time being. He is always less on edge when that is around to calm his spirit, or tend to his fiery urges,” Sage looked up into the sky, the sense of peace only disturbed by the clashing of the two dragons. “We’ve come to know Sune quite well these last few years, I am going to miss the occasional visit to our chambers,” Sage stated whimsically as he continued to gaze into the sky.

“Come again?” Bastioned looked over at his partner.

“Maybe later of course,” Sage chucked. “Back to my point, you cannot tell me you haven't noticed. Even now it is fairly obvious our water dragon might have a bit of a thing for the feathery dragon friend,”

“Yet again why you are the brains of this outfit,” the two shared a sweet kiss before returning to the sparring dragons, it was moments like this that made everything they were fighting for all the more important.

****  

“I’ve about had it with those fossils,” Jin shouted as Vincent escorted him back to his chambers. “At this rate, all the progress we seek will be met with resistance at every turn. We need to be united as one before Morgana’s rise to power or we surely will not last her onslaught,”

“Forgive me, I know you seek a unified front with all dragonborne within and on the outskirts of the Capitol, so why not appeal to them directly. Maybe not by public means, but something a bit more discreet,” Vincent questioned, causing Jin to stop mid-stride.

“Vince you are a genius, I've been so focused on playing nice with these old fossils that the obvious solution evaded me all along. Levi is doing much the same thing with the new generation of wielders being born, why couldn’t I do the same thing from a leadership standpoint,”

“Tread carefully my king, the slightest slip up will be like blood in the water for those sharks,”

“Point taken Captain; I appreciate your input in the matter. Never be afraid to address me in such a manner, you are still one of my dear friends Vince,” Vincent coughed as to clear his throat, it wasn’t often the scruffy red let his emotions seep through but never ceased to surprise whoever was on the receiving end.

****  

Bastion lay on his side, his eyes traveling down the frame of his partner as his fingers lightly trailed over the smooth curves of the resting body before him. “I am ready to learn all of your secrets,” He whispered to himself.

“All you have to do is ask,” Bastion jumped slightly in shock not expecting Sage to be awake just yet. “I know what you are curious about, and it perhaps is the time to share with you. Before we are to be forever bound to one another you should have the chance to make an informed decision. You can call me selfish, but my reasons were my own, living in a place that considered dragonborne to be their mortal enemy and beings that needed to be destroyed or controlled.

Sage made his way across their room, opening their balcony door before stepping out into the cool night air. “I hope you come to see that I am still me, but I will reveal what you were so close to discovering all those years ago,”

Sage closed his eyes, and his body became shrouded in a blinding light, Bastion was left in awe as he lowered his arms protecting his face. “Now you see this is me,” Bastion was having trouble comprehending what his eyes were relaying to his mind. Standing before him was Sage in every way, but upon closer inspection, the top layer of his arms and back were lightly covered in cream-colored scales. Sage looked away from Bastion, having revealed his true self he was ready for the rejection he had grown to expect all his life. Bastion grabbed Sage’s face between his hands, turning him towards his own. He stared lovingly into the eyes of his soon to be husband, the eyes looking back now sharing the same slit-like pupils of Levi and the gang, he was filled with question upon questions, but one thing that was not in doubt was the love he felt for the person he gazed upon.

“You’re beautiful, nothing has changed,” Bastion whispered as they shared a slow passionate kiss. “I guess this does explain a few things, but I have so many questions I don’t even know where to start,”

Sage held back the tears in his eyes, if anyone had told him years ago that Bastion would be the one to truly accept him, he would have scoffed at the idea, but the look of love and adoration left no mistake or doubt. “You will have all the answers you seek, which I can provide, but here now at this moment I want to feel you with me as I truly am.”

****  

Urien smiled to himself as the tendrils of dark energy snaked up his arm. Mordred had made it seem like it would take months to be able to harness the power of darkness to any such degree. He made certain to display the skills of a novice, but it was clear he was much more adept than his would-be teachers believed. In three months, time, under the cover of night, Urien would cloak himself in the power and relish in the feeling.

As the young Urien lay to sleep, the air around him began to grow cold and empty, glowing eyes emerged from the dark as the deep purple serpent looked down at its prey. The boy must not have realized just how the seed of darkness had grown but her hunger for power was ready to be satisfied. As Morgana reached out into the void to claim its power, she recoiled in shock as her efforts were rebuffed. Was the power of darkness rejecting her, the one true master. The idea alone seemed preposterous, it must be the vessel she currently inhabited, she had not yet laid claim to the essence of its soul, this alone must have been the cause, her time had not yet come to claim her true right to power.

Morgana was rebuffed, Mordred found himself deep in thought as he observed his mistress retreating into the shadows. Although she appeared unphased by recent events, it was clear she was blinded by her desire for power. Mordred continued to ponder as he observed the sleeping form of Urien, was it simply ill timing on Morgana’s part that prevented her claim to the seed of darkness or was there another force at play here? Mordred concluded he needed the true answers to what was transpiring, his own goals and motivation depending on the answers to these questions.