Isle of Wyverns and Storms of Truth

It was her own scream tearing apart her already sore and ravaged throat that jolted Alanya from her, albeit restless, much needed slumber. Again. The sound was guttural and agonising and raw.

Curses.

She sighed a deep, angry, helpless sigh, the sound full of frustration and despair, bordering on tearful. Broken. She was Broken. Her body was shaking and even though she was cold, so cold, Alanya was drenched in a heavy layer of sweat. Not the sweet smelling sweat that accompanied warm days or a healthy body after a good bout of rejuvenating exercise. This was the stinking, sickly smelling perspiration that was the sign of a weak, unhealthy body. It was the stench of illness and frailty and decay.

Her teeth chattered furiously and Alanya clenched her jaw tight, hoping to halt the infuriating sound and the irritating movement. She held herself stiff and taught, daring her body to continue shivering in weakness. She struggled to swallow the saliva gathering in her mouth, the action painful and no doubt bloody, as her throat, already sore and raw inside, worked. Her whole body was in fact still feeling the effects of her ill advised adventures.

Fog hung low and danced between the trunks of the towering forest guardians. Wispy fingers reached out, taunting, teasing. They twisted and twined, beckoning. It was quiet in the woods, the sound dampened in the dimness. Muffled footsteps preceded her as she wandered.

It was still dark out, as it always was when Alanya awoke nowadays. She was not afraid of the dark or the night, it was a welcome solace to the bright, harsh light of day. It was a comfort although it probably shouldn’t be, for the bad things had almost always happened in the dark of night. It was dangerous and it concealed but still, it was home now. Alanya embraced the night, the dark, the danger. Yes, she was physically weak, but she dared someone, anyone to attack her. She dared them! Her fury and anger were her shields, her Brokenness a weapon. She dared someone to try her now. She hungered for it even. Wished for it almost desperately. She pushed those thoughts aside as she rose shakily to her unsteady feet, willing her limbs to carry her weight, as small as it was.

She needed to scrub away the lingering fog and memories and wash away her Broken stench. It was clogging her nose and each wiff she caught threatened to lead her thoughts away, downwards into dark, unforgiving spirals. Detours that Alanya could not afford, to places that would be nigh on impossible to climb and claw herself out from. Those were nasty pits. The wall behind which Alanya had once erected in her mind to keep away from the treacherous places had been thoroughly destroyed. It lay a crumbled mound there, in her head, just as dangerous and deadly as the pits and shadows themselves.

Her body ached and groaned at Alanya’s movements, but she pushed herself to ignore it. She needed to at least begin to regain some strength and endurance. A short walk like this should not take so much out of her. She should not be panting this way. Her head should not be this dizzy or foggy, Her muscles should not strain so and her limbs should not shake this much, this violently. They should not shake at all. She should not be this weak!

She wanted to scream out her frustration. She wanted to kick and punch and fight! She wanted to kill every caitiff. But she couldn’t. She was weak. All she could do for now was wash away the night and day before. And begin the frustrating cycle all over again. She let the burning hot fury and indignation warm her and she scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed at her skin, uncaring of the wounds she reopened or the red tinge that the water now carried. She was done caring. She was done feeling. She was numb once more. Blessedly numb and empty, ready for another shoddy day, playing docile, if not nice. She was ready as she could be to face the dawn once more.

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Alanya crept by the factories as laughter wafted through open windows. The workers would be leaving soon, homeward bound. Not much time was left to ensure she was out of sight. Keeping to the shadows she continued on her way. Reaching the gap leading to the alleyway that ran parallel to the road Alanya briefly glanced around, ensuring the coast was clear before she slipped into the tight space. A couple of feet in it widened enough for her to walk without her shoulders grazing the walls either side. The open boundary between the industrial buildings and the Lords' treasury was approaching and she prepared herself for the sprint. Stopping to rest, she stood hunched over, back against the wall behind her, hands on her bent knees. Her chest heaving with desperation, the deep breaths shuddered in and out of her. After a moment, she took off again, the treasury was just up ahead now. Unfortunately, it was surrounded by a tall metal fence and a number of guards patrolled that boundary.

She listened for unwelcoming sounds while keeping close to the wall. Staying in the shadows, she stuck her head around the corner and checked for the next patrol. Perfect timing. After one last glance, she took several steps back into the alleyway. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she cricked her neck and bent her knees. She watched the guard pass from deep within the shadows, took a deep breath and measured the passing time. Alanya took off towards the fence, light on her feet. She leapt, caught some leverage, and pushed up again managing to boost herself another few feet, hands catching the top of the fence. Pulling hard she threw her body over the top and fell towards the ground. Rolling forwards upon landing, she sprang to her feet. A mad dash and she was safely ensconced in the shadows once more.

Back slammed up against the closest wall, she looked back towards the boundary. Swallowing hard to calm her erratic breathing. She watched the next guard pass before turning and continuing on. From here on out she took her time. There were more patrols out that night.

A ruckus emanated from within the building. Peeking out from her hiding spot she avoided walking directly into the Lord Yargo himself, as he walked briskly past. His stern face marred with worry, ice blue eyes flashing and long, stark white hair flowing out behind him, the midnight blue cape he wore spread out in his wake. As soon as he was out of sight and through the doors of the treasury, Alanya ran around the back and entered through the second floor window that was always left unlatched. It wasn’t difficult to get to it, a small jump was required to grasp the ledge above and pull herself to the correct level. She climbed through the window, into a rather stuffy storage closet.

It was nigh on impossible to move without making noise every movement caused her to push her body up against an overflowing shelf, a mop and bucket, or whatever else was crammed into the room. However, after years of practise she manoeuvred herself expertly. Alanya slowly opened the wooden door, but not so much as to start the rusty hinges groaning. She stuck her head out the gap, to check that the coast was clear before squeezing through the tiny opening, pressing her body flush to the wall and easing the door closed.

Silently, Alanya progressed down the empty corridor, until it joined with another. The passageway curved around in a circle, with more, dotted around its circumference. The centre of the circular opening sported a large spiralling staircase, descending and ascending beyond her field of vision. She worked quickly and quietly across the lit hallway, her black outfit now a stark contrast to her surroundings. She approached the substantial looking door, her hand reaching for the handle.

Her heart leapt to her throat and the air in her lungs froze. She managed to throw herself against the wall behind the door as it opened from the other side. She held her breath as the door stopped just a finger width from her face, watching through the gap where the hinges held the door to the wall, as two figures strode through. One an old man, hair greying but still healthy in build, the other, just a boy, his head of blonde curls complimenting a cheeky smirk. As the short click of the closing door revealed her to the world, she finally let out her breath in an annoyed huff and closed her eyes banging her head back against the wall. Noticing how stunned they were, she took full advantage of the situation and set about continuing her quest. She had to get to the eggs. Beginning to regain control, Alanya slipped between the two solitary beings and towards the door. She opened it and gave the young one a friendly pat on the shoulder as she passed. “Sorry about that gentlemen,” she apologised. “I’ll just be on my way.”

Alanya quickly stepped through the door, closing it behind her and darting down the hallway putting as much distance between them as possible, before they returned to their senses and began to give chase. Rounding the corner at the end of the hallway, she heard their surprised voices calling out to her as the door reopened, followed by quick footfalls as they pursued. Running down the corridor and hearing their hurried footsteps gaining, she frantically looked around focusing her gaze downwards. She started to panic when she realised she may have passed the small Alanya sized hole in her hurry. After rather clumsily navigating her way around the next sharp bend in the otherwise straight corridor, her steps lightened and strides lengthened when she noticed her escape route. She darted forward, increasing her speed as she approached the solid wall. A few feet away, she thrust her legs forward.

Sliding across the floor, she twisted herself around so she moved backwards on her stomach. The gap was narrower than she remembered it being as her legs started to pass through it, but even so, she made it! A smug smile accompanied the thought. However, her escape brought forth a much larger problem. This is new, she thought as her feet dropped away. Her upper body was still in the corridor when the expression on her face drastically changed to pure helplessness. She began to fall. It was helplessness she felt, not fear, never that, but both the old man and the young boy appeared to register the danger she was in. They both dived forward, fingers grazing her outstretched hand. The soft touch, a very recent memory. She witnessed the terrified looks on their faces just as her head slipped through the hole. Falling seemed to slow time in her mind as she looked below and around and noticed the devastation that had seemed to have overtaken this area of the building. She had never before seen the likes of it, as though something ancient and dark had exploded in there. Ash seemed to hang suspended in the air and the once white walls were smothered in terrific blackness. Nothing remained as it had once been, now it was a massive crater, the bottom made of deathly sharp lumps of horrifying rubble strewn around. She was so stunned by the sight before her, she failed to register the feel of a very strong hand roughly grasping her arm until it was too late. Her shoulder was almost wrenched out of its socket and her head took the brunt of the impact as she slammed against the wall that still stood. She recalled the blinding pain, but then nothing more than a seemingly welcoming darkness.

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Alanya wandered the quiet streets of the small town as people bustled about busily in the fading evening light, preparing for the night to come, finishing up the last of the days tasks as quickly as they could, all eager for their quiet time with family, rowdy time with friends or the comfort of a lovers arms, it seemed. Not Alanya though. She was out, avoiding her companions with their cloistering, smothering stares and the suffocating loneliness that would come from sitting in her room all alone. She wanted the quiet and the chill and the freedom that came from being unhindered and not encapsulated in a building, stuffy and uncomfortable, packed with other bodies. She needed it. She walked slowly, her path meandering, not a destination in mind. Her body was recovering, slowly but surely, for even two weeks prior, she undoubtedly would have collapsed by now in a shivering, shaking, sweating pile of exhaustion and possibly tears at the number of steps she had walked today. Although the progress was slower than she would like, it was still progress and the length of time it was taking just showed how badly she had been injured, as much as she wished to deny how close she had come to her end. She supposed that she should be grateful that she was even walking around at all, and not be resentful of the fact that she was not yet able to run and fight or even ride solo yet. She was frustrated. Beyond frustrated.

She let her mind wander even as her legs did the same. She continued through the streets as they quieted down and the shadows grew longer and the lights in windows grew brighter and the smell of food drifted enticingly on the faint breeze. Her stomach grumbled, reacting to the scents of meat and broth and buttered rolls and her feet led her back to the tavern in which she knew that he would be awaiting her presence and would watch her like a hawk, looking for any sign of strain or cause to worry. His mothering and henning while Alanya discerned came from a well meaning place, was becoming harder and harder to tolerate. It was all his fault, after all!

No, no. I brought this upon myself. She admitted with a resigned sigh.

The Inn was just like any other really, nothing remarkable or unique about it. It was a fine enough establishment, too poor for the rich but too rich for the poor to patronise. It was busy all the same, the middle class more than happy with the quality of drinks for the price they were paying. The town as a whole fit this same image, it was easier for the unlikely trio to avoid too much notice, as they stuck to towns such as this. And it sure made the journey much easier and quicker than when she had been travelling alone, in the other direction.

Alanya released a pent up breath and drew in a new, deep lungful of air before releasing that in the same manner, calming her thundering pulse and she weaved through the crowd to the back corner where she knew that her reluctant companions would be sat waiting for her arrival, the table loaded with food, ready to be consumed.

Alanya slid unobtrusively into one of the vacant chairs opposite the young boy and the grizzled, worldworn man, and him. Alanya knew that they were looking, watching, staring at her but she refused to meet their gaze. Nobody said a word, they wouldn’t. The old man and the boy didn’t know what to say. It was very rare that either of them struck up enough courage to begin a conversation with Alanya. They had no idea what to do or say to a woman, whereas he simply refused. Alanya used this to her advantage. She pulled a still steaming bowl of stew to sit in front of her and tore chunks from a roll of fluffy bread, dunking it in and scoffing down her meal. She must have been starving and not realised the extent of her hunger. None of her companions made a move to join her in eating the bounty of food before them. They were still staring. She raised her gaze first to the old man, then shifted it over to the boy, avoiding him altogether. Their eyes were wide as they looked on at the spectacle that she was in that moment. Alanya did not care, but the boy at least really should eat too. She pushed one of the other bowls closer to him and he quickly submitted to the command in her eyes and set upon his meal with gusto. Good. With a grunt, the big man also ate and Alanya smiled inwardly. The night drew on and the food steadily was consumed and the band remained in a silent bubble.

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She awoke in an unfamiliar room, her head ached as though a dragon had taken it upon itself to stand upon it. A man sat next to her, his sharp eyes taking in everything. Even as he sat, Alanya could tell that he would stand at least a foot taller than her. He boasted dark hair, startling green eyes, and a blessedly square jaw. If she had not already been holding her breath, it would have caught in her throat, right next to her heart, as she watched him turn towards her and his gaze seeming to look through the door. She willed her heart to quiet down, sure it could be heard, as his eyes held hers. When he knew he held her unwavering attention, he spoke. Alanya listened.

“It is the only way.” He declared, his voice rumbled through her uncomfortably.

She agreed.

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The journey was nearing its end. Alanya recognised more and more of her surroundings as the day progressed. She was almost home. The thought filled her with both giddy excitement and a rising sense of dread. Despite the relief she felt, apprehension dragged at her mind and tightened her stomach in knots. Papa Drake is going to be furious. As dusk approached, the mountains grew around them and the trees became less dense. Up the valley covered with lush green and blooming flowers they wound, following the path of the meandering river until they reached the glen. The sun dipped below the tall peaks and the air turned chill. Stars winked playfully in the clear twilight sky. Alanya looked up, waiting to see the shadowed form of the huge majestic beast she knew would soon appear.

The breeze picked up in small gusts, gently at first before growing more powerful. The stronger the became the more obvious was the thwump, thwump, thwump of beating wings that accompanied the winds. The sky, darker still but for the brilliant light of the moon reflecting off the vibrant jade scales of the dragon as it landed, gracefully yet with a resounding thunder before them.

Large cobalt eyes concealed within the creature's angular, thorny skull, aided the creature's fierce appearance. Several central horns adorned the top of his head, just above a pair of enormous, warped ears. Several large fan-like skin and bone structures follow the lines of his jaw. Several rows of large teeth poked out from the sides of his maw hinting at the terror he could inflict. His nostrils flared as he tried to suppress his dragonfly sigh that would send the mortal creatures standing before him flying across the glen. Graceful, scared wings protruded from his lean frame starting from just below its shoulders and ending at its hips, the sharp crystalline tips glowing, each ending like massive spears. His massive limbs, each of which ended in thick claws seemingly made of crystal, carried his body effortlessly, allowing the creature to stand arrogantly and poised. Rows of spikes ran down his spine and onto his narrow tail ending in a scythe-like blade that flicked agitatedly behind him.

When his eyes finally settled on Alanya after taking the measure of the other beings present, they softened slightly before filling with a righteous blaze. What is the meaning of this?! His booming voice echoed in the hollows of their minds. You leave a whole sun cycle gone, with no word or thought and no contact between. What have you gotten yourself into now, Little Bird?

“I missed you, Papa.” Alanya started but quickly thought better of it. It was probably better to rip off the bandage quickly. “You know those eggs you told me to leave well enough alone, lest I find myself in prison or worse?” She hurried on. “Well, This is my husband.” He stepped up beside her.

“Lord Remonnett Yargo, your Excellency.” He introduced himself.