Zatmenyat

This story is split up amongst 5 different dragons. If you want the full story, then please start on Natasha's profile. Each section of the story will have an arrow at the bottom of it that, when clicked, will lead you to the next section of the story. I know that this isn't how stories are typically formatted, but it made sense when I was writing it. If you do not like this spread out format, you can view the full story here as well. Enjoy.

Eclipse Its not every day that a solar eclipse happens - and for good reason too. The Shade thrives in dark, unnatural times. The Voidsoul in Zatmenyat grew exceptionally powerful in response to these circumstances. The sky was darkened as he hatched, the light of the sun completely blotted out by the moon. Life seemed peaceful and perfect for all of 2 minutes until the sun returned. The sunlight scared Zatmenyat, stinging his eyes (which can barely see anything). His parents knew that a nearly blind hatchling, however determined, would need someone to help him along in learning how to manage the Voidsoul's power. Konstantin sent for Natasha, one of his children who also possessed highly powerful Voidsoul. Zatmenyat was entrusted to her as an apprentice in the ways of Shadehunting, and he quickly became adept at it. But not all was well. While Natasha seemed to effortlessly keep her Voidsoul in check, Zatmenyat struggled to keep it from lashing out on an almost daily basis. He tried talking to Hezrou about it, but none of the strange potions and charms helped. The Voidsoul within seemed to grow ever stronger, more vicious and inciteful. It caused Zatmenyat's already sensitive vision to deteriorate beyond repair. It was like staring through a dark tunnel, only splotches of color at the end. Zatmenyat feared that the Voidsoul would overtake him soon. ... The Voidsoul was taking its toll, practically leaking out. I don't want Natasha or Hezrou to see me like this. I need to go somewhere far enough away that no one can be hurt by my curse, at least long enough until I can find a way to reign it back in. That night, Zatmenyat departed with only a note left behind. Natasha had taught him well to cover his tracks. I'm only going to be gone until the Voidsoul subsides. That's all.

Generation 1 Apex Voidsoul Battered Book of Fables Dragonmade The terrible thing is that all your favorite characters die in the end. (Special thanks XenonZerrow.) 70 Onyx Minerals & Ores Onyx is a common material in centaur arrows and other weaponry. 45 Walrus Pelt Organics It is dark and somewhat greasy. Don't think about it. 44

---

It was only meant to be a few days to regain composure. Zatmenyat hadn't planned on being away for months. But what choice do I have?He had lost track of how long he had been travelling. He hadn't seen another dragon in days. Not that any would want to see me. The last dragons I saw took one look and ran for the hills shouting, "Its a monster! AAAAAAAHH!!!"

Parts of his fur and horns were beginning to stain inky black where they hadn't been before. To others, he must look like some kind of Shade-touched creature. The exact things this curse was meant to stop.

Where am I now anyways? The sounds of animals nearby had diminished; the sun had probably gone down for the night. The air smelled of heavy and dense vegetation... maybe a river nearby? And... something else. Something... unsettlingly familiar.

The Shade!? Why here in the literal middle of nowhere? ...It doesn't matter. I swore to hunt down the Shade and that's what I'm going to do.

But that is something easier said than done. Zatmenyat had started this "extended business trip" to find some method of reigning in his Voidsoul's power. Months of searching for antidotes had passed, but none were found. The Voidsoul, once just a notion in the back of Zatmenyat's mind, was now a constant roar. It was voiceless and wordless, yet it promised him great power none the less. All he had to do was let it win. Let it have control, and he would become the perfect weapons against the Shade.

But I can't. I won't. The Voidsoul may want The Shade destroyed as much as I do, but it doesn't have dragonkind's best interests at heart. It doesn't care how many innocent bystanders are "in the way". The Voidsoul wouldn't care if I get torn to shreds for the sake of the hunt. I can't stop now, after everything. I have a job to do.

The Shade's scent rose from a small river valley hidden in the dense Gladevein forest. A quaint little village was nestled there. Of course. Whenever the Shade pops up somewhere, there's always dragons nearby for it to corrupt.

Zatmenyat scouted the outskirts of the village. Best not to get to close in case anyone is still wandering around at this hour. But just as he walked behind a building of some kind, he heard a slight movement off to the side. He tensed and angled himself towards it, waiting for a sign of its location. Only silence remained in that tense moment. Zatmenyat waited, but whatever had made the noise must have just been an object or a small animal. Nothing of concern. He slinked back into the trees, still listening for any noise coming from that building.

Night dragged on. The Shade's scent still lingered in the air; it clouded Zatmenyat's sense of smell as it had been all night long. It remained ever present in the background... until it wasn't. There, at the mouth of a cave, shrouded behind thick vines. That's where its coming from. There's no doubt about it.

Zatmenyat descended into the cave, knowing that whatever Shade-touched abomination might be inside, he would stop it now and forever. The Voidsoul is still as intense as ever, but I can't let this village remain in danger. I will save these dragons from The Shade.

If I have to become some kind of Voidsoul monster to do that, then so be it.

---

The cave system seemed to stretch out infinitely. Zatmenyat felt as if he had been traveling for hours. Most caves had some kind of little critters or plants growing in them, but not this one. There were no signs of life to be found beyond its entrance. Though, every now and then he got the feeling that there were strong magics nearby. With random magic hotspots and The Shade's evil influence, no wonder nothing lives down here.

Zatmenyat journeyed deeper and deeper into the caverns below, each step leading him closer to the Shade scent's origin. The smell of The Shade hung thickly in the air. The lifeless caverns were silent. There was nothing for Zatmenyat to hear other than his own steps, and any scents were covered up by that of The Shade. He was left almost completely without his sense of direction.

...I just have to go deeper. That's my goal.

These tunnels are becoming harder to navigate and smaller in diameter. I'm... not sure how much deeper I can go. How long have I been down here now? Hours? Days? But I have to keep going. I can't afford to stop.

And he didn't stop. Zatmenyat kept searching for what seemed to be an eternity. But... something was different about this offshoot tunnel. The smell of the Shade rose from it more than any of the other caves he had searched. This is it. This has to be it.

He slowly descended into the narrow inlet, its loose gravel shifting beneath his talons. Just need to take it one step at a time- But as this story has already shown, "taking it one step at a time" doesn't work here in Sornieth.

Zatmenyat tumbled down the steep path into the darkness below. His attempts to cling to any rocky outcropping the cave offered proved futile. HOW DEEP EVEN IS THIS TUNNEL?!

But after a longer fall than he would have liked, he eventually landed on hard stone and jagged gravel. Zatmenyat was too exhausted to get up after a fall like that. There would probably be some serious bruises from the ordeal. He then finally began to realize how tired he was. I'm so close, but I can't barely move with the energy I have left. Just a little rest...

"Sleep now. Take it easy. You have done well, my hero."

---

The power of The Voidsoul jolted Zatmenyat awake. It surged in ferocity like it never had before. A deafening roar in his mind. He was in darkness, that oppressive kind of darkness that pushes in on every side. Life isn't meant to be here, and The Voidsoul knows that.

It urged him to get up. To fight with every fiber of his being. What do I even fight? There's nothing here! I can't even sense The Shade anymore, let alone anything else.

But The Voidsoul was unrelenting. Zatmenyat felt as though he was being torn apart, body and soul. ...This isn't it, is it? Remaining in sorrowful darkness until the curse finally overtakes me?

I wish I had stayed with Natasha and Hezrou...

"You poor thing. That's one nasty curse. Do you want my help?"

The Voidsoul swelled in power even more as Zatmenyat heard the quiet voice. It took everything in him to not succumb to it. What was that? It sounded like a calm voice, but I can't sense a presence of any kind nearby. Am I losing my mind?

Zatmenyat struggled to put together words. "Wh- who i- is there?"

"I am an echo. Somebody who once was, and yet still is. A somebody who can help you with your little curse problem."

Help with my curse? With The Voidsoul?

"I- it can't be h- helped."

"It can be helped. I can ease your suffering. All you have to do is take my hand, right in front of you." The voice softly spoke.

Just... accept it? Let the voice help? I- I have nothing left to lose now. It's either humbly accepting help or stubbornly becoming a monster. There's only one choice I can make here.

Zatmenyat used the last of his strength to reach out ahead. The Voidsoul screamed in opposition, but it was to late. He extended his talons into what seemed like nothing, and they were met by the hand of another dragon that he couldn't sense. The hand was cold as ice, its claws long and sharp.

"Thank you for your sacrifice."

The Voidsoul was immediately drawn away by the dragon's claws digging into his talons. Zatmenyat could feel his conciousness slipping away as he collapsed once again, and could feel an unnatural presence in the chamber. It was The Shade, and he had released it from its tomb.

What have I done?

---

Zatmenyat awoke in the stone chamber. The Voidsoul hadn't completely disappeared, but there was only a small remnant of its power left. He stumbled to his feet. I need to stop that Shade monster. I can't let it go free after this.

He clambered his way back into the cave systems. Without the overpowering scent of The Shade in the tunnels, Zatmenyat found the exit within a matter of minutes. Sunlight streamed through the passage to the surface. I haven't seen anything in weeks! How much was The Voidsoul's power affecting me?

He walked into the light of day. The sun was bright, but it couldn't hurt him anymore. He could see every leaf on the trees, shimmering in detail. I've never seen anything this well, this beautiful... but don't forget why you're here.

Zatmenyat ran through the forest growth to catch up with The Shade. It was fast, but its presence was still nearby. It came into view as it was racing past the trees. Zatmenyat called on the bit of The Voidsoul that was left in him, feeling its power surge at his clawtips. He pounced on it from the top, causing it to stop dead in its tracks. It put up a ferocious fight, but Zatmenyat struck it down with every chance he got. Finally, he clawed it back with such force that it couldn't hold its form anymore. It melted into the ground, leaving only downed trees and shriveled plants as evidence it was there. The sliver of The Shade from the caves was defeated at last.

The fight was over, but Zatmenyat could hear other dragons approaching. He hid behind the dense woodland plants. Wouldn't want civilians freaking out about a monster in the woods

Two Gaolers ran to the spot where The Shade had melted away. Those aren't civilians! I'd recognize those steps anywhere! That's Natasha and Hezrou! Did they come here on a Shade hunt too?

He stepped out of the bushes to see them, but as he locked eyes with Hezrou for the first time, Natasha pounced towards Zatmenyat. He didn't have time to react, but Hezrou did. Zatmenyat shut his eyes in anticipation for her attack. But nothing happened to him.

When he opened his eyes, Hezrou was standing a few paces in front of him. The smell of freshly drawn blood was in the air. W- what did he do?

Hezrou spoke out of true guilt.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you sooner, Zatmenyat."

With that, Hezrou fell, showing Natasha on the other side. Hezrou's shoulder was seriously wounded; Zatmenyat had to do something. He rushed forward, having remembered that Hezrou would often carry around healing medicines. But Natasha jumped between him and his uncle, blocking the path.

Natasha looked into his eyes with a fearful expression. She's... scared of me. I must look terrifying right now-

She silently began to cry. Natasha realized that her brother had finally come back. Not to hurt, but to help.

Stepping aside, she allowed Zatmenyat to help her bandage Hezrou's bleeding shoulder. She locked eyes with him, but didn't know what to say. He realized that this is the first time he had clearly seen her face since he was a hatchling. She was tired, sorrowful, happy, and anxious all at the same time.

Zatmenyat couldn't think of mush else to say to her. "It had been so long- I had almost forgotten what you looked like."

Without a word, Natasha hugged her brother. "If only I had been their for you when you really needed me..." she said through her tears.

"You did everything you could. I couldn't have asked for a better sister."

---

The Voidsoul was weakened by that whole Shade incident, but it will never really be gone. I guess I really had to see its limits to understand how to manage it. All that time struggling to control it took its toll. Since I was a hatchling, it had clouded my eyesight. But now I can see both The Voidsoul and the world for what they are. The Voidsoul is a part of me, just as I am part of the world. I can't deny that.

Hezrou walked ahead on the path leading away from Greenbriar. His shoulder was already starting to heal better than expected. Natasha followed him, smiling back at her younger brother. "You ready for the next hunt, Zatmenyat?" She questioned him.