A serpent of flames formed about the man's arm and flew at Mourtas like a striking viper. The dark Dragon Kin's eyes went dark and a wave of shadows knocked the flames aside.
"YOU DAMN BASTARD!" The man roared, stomping towards Mourtas, but the room suddenly became dark, the light of the torches became drowned out by the shadows. The chamber began to shake and the red Dragon Kin dropped to his knees at Mourtas's feet, while the soldier simply dropped dead.
The crimson dragon roared and came forward, but with a hiss Zickarys jumped from behind the throne, his talons slamming into the dragon's neck and crashing it to the ground where it was pinned beneath Zickarys's weight.
"What.. the hell do you want, Nargash?" Mourtas growled, leaning forward. His eyes were dead and cold as he glared the red Dragon Kin down.
"Why… the hell.. did you let her go..?" Nargash, the Dragon Kin, growled, struggling beneath Mourtas's pressure.
"Because." Mourtas spoke, "there was something more urgent than some deadbeat dragon."
"She is the one who killed my wife! I was promised her head!"
"Do I give a damn? Since when the hell did you think you had the power to question me?"
"You.. aren't the king here!" Nargash growled through clenched teeth. "Touch me.. and all of the Serrakon Kingdom will come after you."
Mourtas grinned, his eyes widening as he grasped Nargash's horn. "Do you really think I give a damn? You honestly think Serrakon's puny army scares me? I'm the one who made you and the others, and YOU REALLY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO THREATEN ME?!"
Mourtas stood, throwing Nargash's head down. The Kin's skull cracked against the stone, the sound of the impact echoing through the chamber.
"If you really want Gena so badly, then go find her yourself. I no longer have interest in her. Now get out of my sight, before I feed you to my dragons."
The shadows began to retreat back into Mourtas, the chamber relit by the torches while Nargash rose to his feet, his face red with rage.
As Zickarys let Keagor, the crimson dragon, up off of the ground and Nargash made his way for the stairs, Mourtas spoke one last thing as he sat upon his throne.
"Oh, and Nargash."
Nargash stopped, but didn't turn back.
"Tell King Daw that if he dares threaten Annuran kingdom, I will not hesitate to decimate his armies and release every Drake and dragon I have on his kingdom." He smiled and waved then. "Have a good hunt."
— — —
Nargash mounted Keagor atop the Draco pillar, not even bothering to clip himself to the dragon.
*What will we do, master?* Keagor asked.
*We are going to find that dragon, and we will kill her. We will also kill whatever other dragon or person that bastard is interested in.*
*Are you certain? That will only receive us Mourtas's wrath. Our actions could very well result in a war, and Annura is backed by the other two kingdoms. We would lose.*
As Keagor took off into the sky, flying in the direction of the Emerald Scales, Nargash spoke, *No. you forget, Keagor, we have something they don't.*
*Are you referring to that… thing?*
*Yes. If it comes to it, we will use it to destroy all the other kingdoms, and we will become true kings. We will kill Daw and take the throne ourselves. No one will be able to challenge us.* he clenched his fists, *Not even Mourtas.*
— — —
Later that night, Gena had returned carrying two large boar. She dropped them at the center of the cave and began to skin them before tearing the flesh apart and burning it within her talons
The whole time, Dagon watched as the creatures were torn apart, their blood and organs spilling onto the stone. He thought back to all the drakes he'd killed. He wondered what it had been like when he was in his Escalation state. How strong had he been? What were his capabilities? He couldn't help but think on this, his curiosity rising. But, he knew, he would not know what his capabilities were until he learned how to use those skills himself. For now, he was stuck with the same spells as before, which did not really bother him. It was better than nothing.
"You are awake." Gena spoke, "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine." Dagon answered simply. "Just sore."
"Have your wounds healed well?" She asked as she brought a heap of flesh over to him.
Dagon took the meat with his one arm and held it in his lap. Every movement hurt, but he decided to not let her know that, or Sephtis.
"Yeah. They've healed well, I feel like we could get back in the air." He smiled.
"No." Sephtis growled. "I'm not gonna have you bleed out and fall off."
"I'm fine, really." Dagon insisted, lifting the meat to his mouth, then wincing when the wounds on his arm stretched out.
"Yeah. You seem totally fine." Sephtis growled as the meat fell into Dagon's lap.
"Is there any kind of healing magic I could use?" Dagon asked, frustrated.
"No." Gena answered. "You have an affinity in nature, which generally includes healing, but your magic is limited by the dragon you are bound to. In other words, your magic can only include spells that align with the poison aspect."
"Go figure. Sephtis, is there no type of healing magic you have?"
"No. I'm afraid not, my skills are made up of purely defensive and offensive skills." The dragon growled as he laid his head upon his talons
Dagon let out a frustrated groan, turning to the sky above. The rock walls around him went up higher and higher, but at the very top, through a small hole, he could barely make out the stars scattered across the night sky.
He thought back to the days he had been locked within those cave with Gena. How he would always sit in the same spot and stare up at the sky, desperately wishing to see the outside world. And even now, even though he had left, he found himself staring up at that same sky, only through a different hole.