Is this Death ... or Hell
Arkon growled at his brother as he struggled to carry Apophis out of the filthy dungeon where he'd been held for more weeks than he could count. Damn, his little brother was heavy for a creature who made his meals mostly off fish and wheat.
~Shut it~, Arkon snapped at him with his thoughts. ~If you can not help, then don't distract me while I'm trying to save your scaly worthless ass from the undead vermin.~
~I don't know why YOU are complaining so. Undead aren't so bad. I rather like them, myself ... their bones make good toothpicks.~
In spite of the danger surrounding them and his bitter rage over their latest "lovely" predicament and betrayal that had put them here, Arkon had to bite back his laughter. Leave it to Apophis to find humor at the worst time imaginable. But then, that was why he was risking life, scale, and claw to save Apophis when all dragon-sense he possessed told him to abandon his brother and worry about his own cursed arse.
~You're not making this any easier on me, you know.~
~Sorry..~ Apophis tried to use his human legs to walk, but the weak, unfamiliar appendages buckled beneath him. ~How do they balance on these spindly things, anyway?~ He scowled at Arkon. ~How are YOU doing it?~
~Sheer piss and vinegar ..~ and the resolute need to live long enough to get the ones who'd done this to them ... and destroy them all.
~And after those poor demons went to all that trouble to cave-break you from Destard. They'd be so disappointed to see their efforts go for naught.~
Arkon let out a frustrated breath. ~I swear by Rikktor and all the gods, Apy, if you don't stop your nonsense, I will kill you myself.~
His expression sobering, Apophis fisted his hand in Arkon's long, matted black hair and forced him to meet his gaze. ~Go, brother. Like this I am nothing but an anchor to you and your freedom, and we both know it. Together, we're caught. Alone you stand a chance at daylight again.~
Tightening his arms around his brothers frail human body, Arkon locked gazes with Apophis. It was so eerie to see blue human eyes staring up at him and not his brother's normal yellow serpentine ones. To stare into the face of a man and not a dragon. What had been done to them against their will was all kinds of wrong.
Without their permission, they'd been bespelled, captured, and merged with a human soul that neither of them understood, or comfortably wore.
One day, they'd been full Dragonkin, the next...
Human.
But though they weren't the same in form, they were still the same in heart and spirit. And one thing would never 'ever' change.
~We are dragonkin! And we do not abandon our family. You know this!~
They might not cluster together in communities, or share domiciles outside of the same cavern system together, once they reached their majority, but when the Bane-Cry sounded, they were honor bound to heed it and fight together until they defeated all threats.
Or death separated them.
Apophis winced as he stumbled and fell, dragging Arkon down with him. ~Why did they do this to us? Isn't it enough that they hunt us for sport? That they enslave us for tools of destruction? What more do these vermin want of our kind?~
Arkon didn't speak as he helped his brother regain his feet and staggered with him toward the narrow opening he prayed led to an exit and a forest beyond where they might find shelter. The answer wouldn't comfort Apophis any more than it'd comforted him. Rather, it pissed him off to no end.
They'd been a merciless experiment by the so called Lord Leston Alcantor, to merge souls with the worthless children of Umbra. To create an army of creatures immune to his enemies will and can be molded into his weapons. While Arkon could respect the man for not wanting to lose his land and honor, Arkon didn't appreciate being the means by which Leston hoped to accomplish this.
Even now, he remembered the sight of the fierce Death Knight Dagon in his blackened armor and shadow robes, as his soul was ripped from his dieing dragon body and trapped with his powers into the young human he had become.
"Easy dragon," the Death Knight had breathed as Arkon had struggled against him and done his damndest to fight him off. "You'll thank me for what I do. I'm going to make you better, stronger."
But this was neither of those things. Never had he felt so weak or vulnerable.
So Lost.
And the worst had been to awaken in front of his "twin". A human male identical to his body whose soul had somehow been merged with his. Unlike Arkon, the human hadn't been strong enough to survive the spell that Dagon had used on them. Probably because Dagon hadn't bothered to learn what type of draconkin Arkon was born as, before he cast his magic.
Magic, and necromancy were embedded into Arkons bones from the moment he hatched from the egg, killed his first victim, and buried himself in the dead body to keep warm and feast on the entrails. His breed were once cast out of the realms and into the world of shadows, and there in a part of his essence still remained.
The weak human had died howling in agony a few hours after the spell-casting, his body attempted to become a dragon's form. While Arkon hadn't enjoyed the transition to human, he'd survived it.
Barely.
He just wished he could control the impulse that threw him from human to dragon and back again. Those horrid transitions came at random intervals without warning. Something that kept him grounded for the time being, since the last thing he wanted was to be airborne when his wings retracted and his body plummeted back to the ground.
"There they are!"
Arkon hissed as he heard the humans behind him. He tried to use his powers on them, but like in this form, like this...
useless.
Apophis's eyes widened in panic. ~Go! Leave me!~
~Never! Better I die by your side trying, than sacrifice your life to save mine. I will not leave you, little brother.~
A single tear ran down Apophis's bloodied cheek as they were overrun by the humans, retaken and chained like the animals they were. Arkon fought as best he could. But since he didn't really know how to use his human body, it did him no good.
In a matter of minutes, they were dragged back to their dark, filthy cage where other species of dragon kin and other creatures awaited a similar, horrid, fate.
Experiments for gods and man.
Disgusted and furious, he held his brother in his arms and protected him as best he could while the pitiful creatures around them howled for mercy, death and revenge.
~What's to become of us Arkon?~
Honestly? He had no idea. But one thing was absolutely clear to him. ~We are Dragonkin. We are familly. And if I have to kill every undead and human servant of theirs, above and below, my oath to you, little brother, you will fly again in the blue skies as we were born to, and we will both live free of them and their wretched curses. No one will stop us.~
Yet even as he spoke those words, he knew what Apophis did. Some things were much easier said than done.
And no matter the intent or heartfelt emotion, not all promises could be kept. A jealous goddess herself, Fate as a cruel, bitter pancake who often made liars of man and beast. Never one for mercy she'd never shown any to either of them or his breed.
"Does it live?"
Arkon froze at the sound of the Lord of Umbra's voice as the pale man neared their rusty cage. It was a smooth yet mysterious tone Arkon had learned to recognize, to his deepest regret.
"Yes, m'lord. Both of the creatures that were merged have survived and are intact ... if not a bit bruised. Should we finish them off?"
Arkon went cold at that. And not just because he was cold-blooded.
"No!" Leston roared. "They are to become my disciples. my children. Even if they are born of beasts, my blood was used in their making, mindless creatures or not. Fetch them to me so that I can begin their teachings. It is time to introduce them to the world"
------------
Arkon woke up from his dream, his memories. He had been laying back upon the deck of his ship, The Golden Chimera, named thusly for the golden shade of the boards.
The ship floundered, unanchored, at the old docks of Yew. The city within the forest, one with the land itself. It had been many years since his birthing to this new form, many more since he had a reason to fight - to keep on going.
Thoughts of his past, of what was done to him and the many others of that time, are what keep his heart cold to the effects his goods do to the land and those that inhabit it. Arkon held no love for man, elf or the like. And few have ever found the crack in the shell of his heart.
"Ahoy there! You have our shipments? We're to be off to the Minister of Trade before the storm hits." The Harbor master called out to the Captain of the Vessel. Arkon pushed himself up and ordered the hired sailors to begin unloading the crates.
" `ere ye go bub. ah've got ye fruits and ye supplies. De rest will cost ye extra." Arkon muttered under his breath, fixing the moore lines and unfurling the sail to keep the vessel in place.
"What do you mean extra! You swag we paid you the required amount for the cargo we won't pay a dime more!" The harbor master, obviously hardend by years of dock work, never expected a throwing star litterally dripping in yellowish poison to stab into the leather of his boot - just barely missing his toes.
"On second thought, we can add another ten percent for your troubles."
Arkon, a bone gloved finger tapping the belt at his waist simply smirked. Pulling a large clove blunt from a pocket and sliding it between his lips he turned to finish off the ships lines. "That's what I thought."
Arkon growled at his brother as he struggled to carry Apophis out of the filthy dungeon where he'd been held for more weeks than he could count. Damn, his little brother was heavy for a creature who made his meals mostly off fish and wheat.
~Shut it~, Arkon snapped at him with his thoughts. ~If you can not help, then don't distract me while I'm trying to save your scaly worthless ass from the undead vermin.~
~I don't know why YOU are complaining so. Undead aren't so bad. I rather like them, myself ... their bones make good toothpicks.~
In spite of the danger surrounding them and his bitter rage over their latest "lovely" predicament and betrayal that had put them here, Arkon had to bite back his laughter. Leave it to Apophis to find humor at the worst time imaginable. But then, that was why he was risking life, scale, and claw to save Apophis when all dragon-sense he possessed told him to abandon his brother and worry about his own cursed arse.
~You're not making this any easier on me, you know.~
~Sorry..~ Apophis tried to use his human legs to walk, but the weak, unfamiliar appendages buckled beneath him. ~How do they balance on these spindly things, anyway?~ He scowled at Arkon. ~How are YOU doing it?~
~Sheer piss and vinegar ..~ and the resolute need to live long enough to get the ones who'd done this to them ... and destroy them all.
~And after those poor demons went to all that trouble to cave-break you from Destard. They'd be so disappointed to see their efforts go for naught.~
Arkon let out a frustrated breath. ~I swear by Rikktor and all the gods, Apy, if you don't stop your nonsense, I will kill you myself.~
His expression sobering, Apophis fisted his hand in Arkon's long, matted black hair and forced him to meet his gaze. ~Go, brother. Like this I am nothing but an anchor to you and your freedom, and we both know it. Together, we're caught. Alone you stand a chance at daylight again.~
Tightening his arms around his brothers frail human body, Arkon locked gazes with Apophis. It was so eerie to see blue human eyes staring up at him and not his brother's normal yellow serpentine ones. To stare into the face of a man and not a dragon. What had been done to them against their will was all kinds of wrong.
Without their permission, they'd been bespelled, captured, and merged with a human soul that neither of them understood, or comfortably wore.
One day, they'd been full Dragonkin, the next...
Human.
But though they weren't the same in form, they were still the same in heart and spirit. And one thing would never 'ever' change.
~We are dragonkin! And we do not abandon our family. You know this!~
They might not cluster together in communities, or share domiciles outside of the same cavern system together, once they reached their majority, but when the Bane-Cry sounded, they were honor bound to heed it and fight together until they defeated all threats.
Or death separated them.
Apophis winced as he stumbled and fell, dragging Arkon down with him. ~Why did they do this to us? Isn't it enough that they hunt us for sport? That they enslave us for tools of destruction? What more do these vermin want of our kind?~
Arkon didn't speak as he helped his brother regain his feet and staggered with him toward the narrow opening he prayed led to an exit and a forest beyond where they might find shelter. The answer wouldn't comfort Apophis any more than it'd comforted him. Rather, it pissed him off to no end.
They'd been a merciless experiment by the so called Lord Leston Alcantor, to merge souls with the worthless children of Umbra. To create an army of creatures immune to his enemies will and can be molded into his weapons. While Arkon could respect the man for not wanting to lose his land and honor, Arkon didn't appreciate being the means by which Leston hoped to accomplish this.
Even now, he remembered the sight of the fierce Death Knight Dagon in his blackened armor and shadow robes, as his soul was ripped from his dieing dragon body and trapped with his powers into the young human he had become.
"Easy dragon," the Death Knight had breathed as Arkon had struggled against him and done his damndest to fight him off. "You'll thank me for what I do. I'm going to make you better, stronger."
But this was neither of those things. Never had he felt so weak or vulnerable.
So Lost.
And the worst had been to awaken in front of his "twin". A human male identical to his body whose soul had somehow been merged with his. Unlike Arkon, the human hadn't been strong enough to survive the spell that Dagon had used on them. Probably because Dagon hadn't bothered to learn what type of draconkin Arkon was born as, before he cast his magic.
Magic, and necromancy were embedded into Arkons bones from the moment he hatched from the egg, killed his first victim, and buried himself in the dead body to keep warm and feast on the entrails. His breed were once cast out of the realms and into the world of shadows, and there in a part of his essence still remained.
The weak human had died howling in agony a few hours after the spell-casting, his body attempted to become a dragon's form. While Arkon hadn't enjoyed the transition to human, he'd survived it.
Barely.
He just wished he could control the impulse that threw him from human to dragon and back again. Those horrid transitions came at random intervals without warning. Something that kept him grounded for the time being, since the last thing he wanted was to be airborne when his wings retracted and his body plummeted back to the ground.
"There they are!"
Arkon hissed as he heard the humans behind him. He tried to use his powers on them, but like in this form, like this...
useless.
Apophis's eyes widened in panic. ~Go! Leave me!~
~Never! Better I die by your side trying, than sacrifice your life to save mine. I will not leave you, little brother.~
A single tear ran down Apophis's bloodied cheek as they were overrun by the humans, retaken and chained like the animals they were. Arkon fought as best he could. But since he didn't really know how to use his human body, it did him no good.
In a matter of minutes, they were dragged back to their dark, filthy cage where other species of dragon kin and other creatures awaited a similar, horrid, fate.
Experiments for gods and man.
Disgusted and furious, he held his brother in his arms and protected him as best he could while the pitiful creatures around them howled for mercy, death and revenge.
~What's to become of us Arkon?~
Honestly? He had no idea. But one thing was absolutely clear to him. ~We are Dragonkin. We are familly. And if I have to kill every undead and human servant of theirs, above and below, my oath to you, little brother, you will fly again in the blue skies as we were born to, and we will both live free of them and their wretched curses. No one will stop us.~
Yet even as he spoke those words, he knew what Apophis did. Some things were much easier said than done.
And no matter the intent or heartfelt emotion, not all promises could be kept. A jealous goddess herself, Fate as a cruel, bitter pancake who often made liars of man and beast. Never one for mercy she'd never shown any to either of them or his breed.
"Does it live?"
Arkon froze at the sound of the Lord of Umbra's voice as the pale man neared their rusty cage. It was a smooth yet mysterious tone Arkon had learned to recognize, to his deepest regret.
"Yes, m'lord. Both of the creatures that were merged have survived and are intact ... if not a bit bruised. Should we finish them off?"
Arkon went cold at that. And not just because he was cold-blooded.
"No!" Leston roared. "They are to become my disciples. my children. Even if they are born of beasts, my blood was used in their making, mindless creatures or not. Fetch them to me so that I can begin their teachings. It is time to introduce them to the world"
------------
Arkon woke up from his dream, his memories. He had been laying back upon the deck of his ship, The Golden Chimera, named thusly for the golden shade of the boards.
The ship floundered, unanchored, at the old docks of Yew. The city within the forest, one with the land itself. It had been many years since his birthing to this new form, many more since he had a reason to fight - to keep on going.
Thoughts of his past, of what was done to him and the many others of that time, are what keep his heart cold to the effects his goods do to the land and those that inhabit it. Arkon held no love for man, elf or the like. And few have ever found the crack in the shell of his heart.
"Ahoy there! You have our shipments? We're to be off to the Minister of Trade before the storm hits." The Harbor master called out to the Captain of the Vessel. Arkon pushed himself up and ordered the hired sailors to begin unloading the crates.
" `ere ye go bub. ah've got ye fruits and ye supplies. De rest will cost ye extra." Arkon muttered under his breath, fixing the moore lines and unfurling the sail to keep the vessel in place.
"What do you mean extra! You swag we paid you the required amount for the cargo we won't pay a dime more!" The harbor master, obviously hardend by years of dock work, never expected a throwing star litterally dripping in yellowish poison to stab into the leather of his boot - just barely missing his toes.
"On second thought, we can add another ten percent for your troubles."
Arkon, a bone gloved finger tapping the belt at his waist simply smirked. Pulling a large clove blunt from a pocket and sliding it between his lips he turned to finish off the ships lines. "That's what I thought."