Creative Corner

@Tempestuous They will be revealed in future parts, but I can confirm that they are not Beastclan.
I've added you :)
EDIT: Sorry, spelt your name wrongly.

---

So where are we going? Ilaria asked, as they departed from their new home, the light of the rising sun shining on their backs.

Three days had passed since the fall of the clan. The three of them - Onawa, Ilaria and Bruinen - had settled in a ruined castle atop a hill overlooking the Hewn City. It was chosen for its strategic place as they could see for miles around them, rendering it difficult for an enemy to sneak up from the ground and forcing them to instead launch an airborne attack. It was also located next to the river that ran through the Sunbeam Ruins for both Ilaria and Bruinen's comfort; the sea dwelling creatures couldn't stay out of the water for long as their scales would dry out and cause much discomfort. The river was also an easy source of water for Onawa. The castle was relatively intact, and with a bit of fixing it was liveable, at least for the moment. In fact, their next destination was for materials and supplies.

"The Auction House. At the state it's in right now, the castle won't serve well in the long run. We need proper materials to fully repair it, and that's the best place we can get them, at least that I know of." Onawa answered.

Ilaria frowned. But... where is it located?

"The Auction House, along with the Trading Post, is on an island which floats somewhere above the Sea. It's considered neutral territory; none of the deities may claim it as their own. Dragons have been doing business there for generations. It's... a little hard to describe. You'll see."

But how will we get there?

Onawa stopped for a second to turn and face the Sprite. "For an advisor to the Lord of the Sea himself, you sure don't know much."

Ilaria flushed. Alright, I lied! I'm not an official advisor, I was training to become one. My training was rudely interrupted though, by a certain situation of yours. I don't even know why I was the one sent; as you can see, I don't know much about dragon affairs. She began to sulk, and refused to talk to Onawa for the rest of the journey. Eventually, Onawa gave up.

"We're here," Onawa announced.

Ilaria stirred, and looked around. They were in the Mirrorlight Promenade, rows of pillars on either side of them. This is certainly not the Auction House! Ilaria said indignantly.

Onawa sighed. "Look in front of you."

Ilaria grumbled, obeying. I don't see anything. What.... She trailed off.

Between the last pillars of the Promenade was what appeared to be a horizontal whirlpool. The liquid was metallic and iridescent, and nearly blinded them when the sunlight reflected off of it. it swirled rather sluggishly, and one felt dizzy if they stared at it too long.

Ilaria wondered how she'd missed it.

"That portal's going to take us to the Auction House," Onawa explained. "You could fly there, of course, but I wasn't built for long flights. So this is the next best option. I wouldn't recommend it if you don't have a particularly strong stomach though."

Alarmed, Ilaria asked, Wait, why? She narrowed her eyes at the portal in distrust.

"You'll see," was the only answer she received. Oh, just perfect.

Onawa backed up on the Promenade. "Ready?"

What if I said no?

Onawa took off running, and with a huge leap, jumped straight into the whirlpool.

The inside of the portal was multicoloured, a rainbow all around her. Bright, dizzying lights seared Ilaria's eyes with black afterimages. She felt like someone was turning her stomach inside out, but at the same time her muscles were locked in place, preventing her from throwing up.

The lights soon faded away to utter darkness. Wails and screams filled her ears, ghostly images reaching out towards her on either side, yet never touching her. Ilaria was sure that if she stayed in this awful place for much longer she'd lose her sanity. Somehow, through it all, Onawa kept running, and never stopped.

Then, just as Ilaria felt like she was about to snap, the darkness melted away.

Ilaria blinked. The light was too bright, and she shielded her eyes from it. Only when her eyes had adjusted did she dare to remove her hands.

The portal on this side looked almost exactly the same, except that it was flanked by trees instead of ruins. Ilaria turned to face the Auction House and gasped, sitting up on Onawa's back.

She'd had conjured up an image of a field of brightly coloured tents in her mind, with hatchlings running around and playing, laughter filling the air. The sounds of dragons haggling over precious items, an auctioneer calling for the next bid on a crown of jewels or a necklace of diamonds. A cool breeze would blow through, ruffling the tents. Trees danced in the wind, and the sunlight would warm the top of her head.

The Auction House was not what she'd expected.

The bright sunlight was lost on the monochrome assortment of stalls. The air was hot and stifling, and the smell... Ilaria wrinkled her nose in disgust. The sellers had hard looks on their faces as they turned down offers on their wares. The buyers often flared up at them, and a few fights had already broken out within the few minutes Ilaria and Onawa had arrived.

A dragon shoved past Onawa without even an apology, nearly knocking Ilaria off her back.

Ilaria quickly scrambled back on. What kind of uncivilised place is this? She grumbled. Absolutely no manners whatsoever!

Onawa rolled her eyes. "You're in the Auction House. Get used to it."

The bustling crowd pushed them onwards, deeper within the dark stalls. The more Ilaria saw, the more disgusted she felt. Beggars stumbled into their path, pleading for food and money, but they were quickly shoved aside by other dragons. Ilaria wanted to help them, but within a few seconds they disappeared behind them, lost in the crowd.

Then they emerged into a new section of the Auction House, where auctioneers were bidding off their latest wares. When Ilaria saw what they were, she felt sick to her stomach.

Hatchlings, of every breed and flight. Some auctions were somewhat nicer; the hatchlings were well fed and taken care of, and while they appeared frightened, they were quickly soothed by older dragons. Others, however, made Ilaria feel like throwing up. The hatchlings were bound in chains atop tall pedestals, on display for the whole crowd to see. Terror was etched upon their faces, as the auctioneer called out for bids. One such hatchling stumbled past them, dragged by the chains behind his new master.

This... this is awful. It's considered slavery! How has this not been stopped? Ilaria asked Onawa furiously.

Onawa shrugged carelessly. The presence of the dragon slaves did not bother her much. "By whom? The authorities? There are none. The Auction House has been going on for centuries. Many clans rely on it for food, supplies, even new members. The deities themselves can't interfere without risking angering the dragons, or worse, sparking a rebellion."

This is wrong. I can't... I can't support this.

"This is the dragon world, and now yours also. You don't have much of a choice if you want to live." Onawa turned, continuing through the crowd.

Ilaria noticed that other than the hatchlings, dragons themselves were being sold. Many were fresh warriors that went for large amounts. Some dragons were exceptionally pretty and attracted a large crowd who swooned over their glittering scales. There were even a few old dragons who, with their expansive knowledge and experience, received bids for almost ridiculously high amounts of treasure.

Yet there were others, scrawny and weak, with dull scales and blunt claws. These dragons were easily passed over by bidders, and were sold for a meager amount of treasure. "Those are called fodder," Onawa explained. "Most clans buy them for one purpose only: to be their monthly offering to their respective deities, in the place of more important clan members."

That's horrible! Ilaria cried.

"There's no difference. If they're not sold they're usually sent away by their clan anyways." Ilaria found that incredibly saddening. Their lives had only two paths, and both were bleak and hopeless. A life without hope, is no life at all.

Spotting the trader she was looking for, Onawa hurried over to a rather ragged looking stall. Arranging the items displayed was a male Fae dressed in posh garb. "Malthinae!"

The Fae turned to face them. His face was proud, his blood red eyes sharp, immediately focusing on them. His voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. "Hello, Onawa. It has been a while. I'm sorry about your clan." He did not sound sympathetic at all.

Onawa frowned. "I didn't know word spread this fast." It troubled her, although she was not entirely sure why. Word was bound to get out, after all.

"Well, the Fallen certainly did not stay quiet about it. Many report that they've been holding celebrations for the entire length of these past few days."

Onawa's blood boiled, but she forced herself to cool down. Losing her head in front of the merchants would certainly draw attention which she would like to avoid.

"However, it's unlikely that they will continue on. Rumours that one of the Horizon's Edge's members survived. After all, who else could've set that field on fire? I see now that those rumours were true."

Onawa pulled down her hood further, eyeing Malthinae suspiciously. "If you are working for the Fallen...." She was counting on his and Kilandri's relationship to keep her alive; if it proved to not be quite as strong as she'd thought, they were doomed.

Malthinae laughed coldly. "Oh, no. Their methods are far too vulgar for my taste. However, when they find out you're alive - and I have faith that they will - there'll be a bounty on your head, no doubt for a high price. The market has not been doing well lately, and I could certainly use some extra treasure."

Onawa snarled. "Why, you greedy son of a - "

Malthinae held up a finger. "Insults won't get you anywhere, I'm afraid. However, I might consider a bribe...."

Onawa glared up at him. "How much do you want?"

He thought about it. "Let's see... perhaps 50kt might do?"

"What a ridiculous - " Onawa cut herself off, snapping her mouth shut. Taking a few deep breaths, she slowly reached into the bag at her side. She pulled out a pouch full of coins, pouring some out and counting it, before handing it over to Malthinae with an icy glare.

Malthinae counted the coins. Satisfied, he slid them into a fold in his clothes. Onawa gritted her teeth to prevent herself from attacking him. Those coins had been retrieved from the clan's vault through a dangerous night mission. Onawa and Ilaria had risked their necks for it and were nearly caught by the Fallen. As it was, they'd managed to escape through one of the tunnels.

"Now, what else can I help you with?" He asked. Punching yourself in the face, perhaps? Tearing out your own throat? That would be nice. Onawa thought to herself. She refrained from saying it out loud though. She had to trust that Maltinae would not spill the beans to the Fallen; angering him certainly would not help that.

"I need supplies." She began listing down everything she needed. Deloi paid close attention, taking notes down on a sheet of parchment. When she was finished, he calculated the total. "100kt."

Onawa winced, but pulled out the treasure anyways. Granted, the clan vault had much treasure, but she knew that it would be needed for other purposes as well, and she was trying to save the treasure till then. They needed the supplies though, so she forced herself to take out the treasure.

Malthinae clapped his hands together. "Deloi!"

A female Pearlcatcher emerged from the tent behind the stall. Her clothes were dirty and ragged. Her eyes darted around frantically, almost as if she was preparing for an attack at any moment. She clutched her pearl in her claws like it was a lifeline (which, admittedly, it often was to Pearlcatchers). When she reached the spot in front of Malthinae, she winced as if expecting a blow, despite the fact that she was at least twice his size .

"Deloi, take these for them," Malthinae instructed, passing her the paper. She nodded, her eyes lingering on Onawa. They were sad and pleading, like she was begging for her help. They held her gaze for a second longer, before dipping down as she reentered the tent.

Onawa hesitated, before asking Malthinae, "May I see the items in your tent?"

Why? Ilaria spoke in Onawa's mind. I'd like to question that Pearlcatcher. She'd seemed so frightened, but by what? Onawa replied. She didn't want to mention the look the Pearlcatcher had given her; it could've simply been a figment of her imagination.

So you have no problems with hatchlings being auctioned off, but now that you see a twitchy Pearlcatcher you suddenly want to help her with whatever she needs? Onawa ignored Ilaria, although a bit of shame rose within her. She pushed it back down.

The Fae looked surprised, but gave his permission. "Of course. But know that if I find that you've stolen anything, I will be immediately reporting to the Fallen." Onawa merely replied with a nod, before diving into the tent.

She nearly knocked over a pile of trinkets. The tent contained almost anything, from decorative lamps to building supplies like the ones she needed. It seemed like no one had washed it in a long time; there were some questionable stains splattered across the sides of the tent. There was also a certain metallic smell to it that raised Onawa's suspicion.

The Pearlcatcher — Deloi, Malthinae had said? — suddenly appeared from behind a stack of books, startling Onawa. "Good, good, I feared you didn't receive my message," she whispered, diving back within the mass of junk.

She reappeared with a bundle of items in her arms. "These are the supplies you wanted." Onawa nodded as she took the bundle, preparing to leave.

"Wait!" Deloi stopped her. She dipped below the mounds once more, before reemerging, holding a Plague egg. The egg was a faint green and translucent, revealing a small, writhing... thing within it.

"Please... you have to help me. Take it!" She shoved it into Onawa's hands, and Onawa nearly dropped the slimy and slippery egg.

"Wait, hold on! Why can't you just keep it?" Onaw asked, pushing it back to Deloi in confusion.

Deloi shook her head miserably. "I... had an affair. With someone other than Malthinae. If he finds out about the egg, there'll be no end of pain for me, and my child...." She cradled the egg delicately, almost as if it would shatter into pieces at a mere touch. "He would never accept the hatchling... he'd destroy it... no, I won't let that happen. I refuse to." Her eyes flashed with determination, and admiration for her welled up in Onawa.

"But why did you cheat on Malthinae in the first place?" Onawa questioned.

"Because I never loved him!" Deloi cried out. She looked around frantically, before turning back to Onawa and lowering her voice. "I never loved that... vile... greedy... son of a...." She shook her head, not finishing the sentence.

Then why did you stay with him? Ilaria asked, projecting her thoughts out and speaking in both Onawa and Deloi's minds for the first time. Deloi looked surprised, but didn't question it.

"I don't have a choice," she said miserably. "Malthinae was the one who... who... who bought me." She spat out the word vehemently. "And according to my clan's laws, he has every right to use me in whatever way he wishes. He's been controlling me for the last two years of my life. Every time I step out of line, or just does something he doesn't like, he punishes me in the worst ways possible. So when I had the chance to... to experience something other than fear and hatred, and pain, I took it.

"Malthinae found out about the affair a few days after, and he challenged my mate to a duel. I warned him of Malthinae's underhanded tactics, but he didn't have any other choice but to take up the offer in order to preserve his honour and dignity. But what I feared came true... and Malthinae killed him. My life of fear and torture, of tears and pain, resumed once again."

Onawa felt like her heart was being compressed into a small, hard diamond. Shame welled up inside her. Earlier, she'd brushed aside Ilaria's concern towards the slaves. She'd never considered how life was from their point of view, not even once. How could I have been so ignorant to the world around me?

"But then, something unexpected happened. Her." Deloi smiled down at the egg with so much love, it warmed Onawa's heart. "The problem is that I can't keep her hidden from Malthinae forever. As it is, it's already hard enough trying to conceal her right now, as a quiet little egg, but when she becomes a hatchling? She'll need my undivided attention, which I can't give to her."

Deloi took a deep, shuddering breath, before passing the egg to Onawa once more with pain-filled eyes. "That is why I can't keep her. But I don't want to leave her in the wild either, lest she become prey to the Beastclans, or worse, the Shade."

Onawa shook her head, mystified. "But... why me? Why us?" She gestured to Ilaria and herself. "How do you know you can trust us?"

"I don't. But," here Deloi smiled slightly, "I just have a feeling you'll take care of her. Besides, she's due to hatch soon; I don't have much of a choice."

Onawa didn't even need to think about it. "I'll take care of her," she promised. Relief spread across Deloi's face, as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. A pang of sadness ran through Onawa's heart. She must be very desperate to trust a complete stranger with her own child.

Onawa turned to leave, before stopping and turning back to the Pearlcatcher. She hesitated for a second, trying to find the right words, before speaking. "How do you know it's a she?"

At this, Deloi smiled slightly. "Believe it or not, I've a knack for divination. Nothing huge; I can't predict the outcome of a battle or anything, but foreseeing a hatchling's gender? Easy." She turned back to the piles of junk. "Now go, before Malthinae grows suspicious. Take care of her for me!"

Onaw hesitated, before gathering all her purchased items and sliding the egg into the pack at her side, ignoring the coat of slime around it. Ilaria settled on her back once more as they prepared to leave.

Before they left though, Onawa turned around one last time. "What should I name her?" She was determined that the child should have some legacy from her mother.

Deloi thought about it for a moment, before a smile spread across her face as she found the perfect name. "Tauriel."

---

Next: Part 4: The Path of Death

@Istoki @Tempestuous New part is up!
Part 3: The Auction House

@Aravis o.o Very dark take on the Auction House. I think it's the darkest I've seen yet, and I'm following the current Lovecraftlockes, too. What a miserable fae, really hope he doesn't cause trouble for Onawa.

@Istoki I guess it's dark, but I always imagined the dragon world as a pretty dark place. If it helps lighten it up a little, not all dragons who are sold through the Auction House are slaves. Like what I wrote here: [quote=Aravis]Some auctions were somewhat nicer; the hatchlings were well fed and taken care of, and while they appeared frightened, they were quickly soothed by older dragons.[/quote] These are the hatchlings who were genuinely taken care of before given away. The money received in return is more of a dowry than payment, and most of the time the clan may extend an auction if they feel the highest bidder will not treat the hatchling well. That's the brighter side of the Auction House. But then you have the slave market. If you're a slave and you get lucky, your new master might be more laid back, and might even release you from service within a few months. If you're unlucky, you'll get someone like Malthinae. So there's light and there's dark to the AH. It's not a very even balance; the slave market is meant to represent the fodder market, which as you probably know is a pretty big. In the chapter they're written separately, but actually they're both — slaves and fodder, that is — interchangeable. And if you read through that gigantic block, good job! XD

@Aravis If I ask to be on a pinglist, I'm here to stay and read all the things. All of them.

@Istoki That's nice to know :) Really, it's nice to know that someone is reading all... *waves hands around* ... this. I really want to incorporate all that into the Nuzlocke, but am still figuring out how :P Maybe in future parts.

---

Tauriel bared her teeth at the mouse that was towering above her. Usually mice weren't nearly this big, but this was no ordinary rodent. Its strength and size greatly increased by the Shade, the mouse glared down at her with glowing golden eyes.

The mouse reared up on its hind legs, blocking out the sun entirely, and screeched in her face. Tauriel winced as the ear-shattering sound hit her, nearly sweeping her off her feet. "Oh shut up!" She growled. She crouched down, before taking off and leaping onto its head, her wings pushing her upwards far higher than she could jump.

Surprised, the mouse let out a squeak, before snarling and batting at its head with its paws, nearly knocking Tauriel off.

Nearby, she could hear Onawa and Jormundur battling with another, even larger mouse. She was much too preoccupied at the moment to help them though. She secretly felt a little annoyed that they'd left her, a tiny little Fae who couldn't even use magic, to fight alone while the two of them, who were much larger than her, took on another opponent together. What kind of teamwork is this? She thought irritably.

She was jolted from her thoughts when the mouse shook its head, nearly flinging her off. She yelped, grabbing hold of an ear. She steadied herself with a sigh of relief. Focus! We can't afford to dream on the job.

For a second, she forgot what she was doing on the mouse's head. Ah, right! She thought, remembering what she had planned to do.

She took a deep breath, before making her way down the mouse's head, which wasn't an easy feat with the mouse tossing and turning and screeching at the top of its lungs. All it has to do is charge a tree and I'm dead, Tauriel realised, before mentally smacking herself. Oh, well then, there's my happy thought of the day!

The mouse pitched forward, and she struggled to find a hold, only to find out that there wasn't anything to hold on to. She yelped as she slid down the mouse's snout, before managing to hook onto its nose. Alright, climbing's out of the option. Looks like there's nothing but to - fly!

She let go of the snout, allowing herself to fall backwards to the ground. A few metres off the ground, she spread her wings and flipped over. The wind caught her wings, taking her backwards pass the surprised mouse.

"Time to finish this," she growled. She flew straight for the mouse's head with her claws outstretched. A confused look spread across its face, before it realised what she was about to do and raised a paw to defend itself. It was far too late though.

With a snarl, she raked her claws across its eyes.

The mouse howled in pain, stumbling backwards and dropping to all four paws. Tauriel was relentless, and furiously clawed its eyes. She knew that her attack wouldn't last long though. "Onawa, Jormundur!" She cried out. For a second, she thought that her pleas weren't heard, and her heart sank. Then, suddenly, the mouse's head was yanked back, its howl cut off as Jormundur sank his teeth into its neck, before tearing it open. The mouse crumpled to the ground. Even as they watched, a whisper of darkness slithered out from its nostrils, slinking into the ground.

"Good job," Onawa said breathlessly, as she came up beside them. Her claws were dripping with blood, and when Tauriel looked down, she realised that hers were as well. A drop of blood trickled out of the side of Jormundur's mouth. He made a face, before spitting on the ground.

"Maybe next time it'd be better if we all stuck together, or maybe at least pair up fairly," Tauriel spoke up. She was still annoyed by the two of them leaving her by herself, especially Jormundur, whom she'd had a special bond with ever since she'd found his egg. The Coliseum was meant to be a place to forge a strong bond between a team of dragons, and yet her teammates had left her to fight alone.

The Coliseum was well known by dragons all across Sornieth. Beastclans populated the area, making it the perfect place for dragons to train and hone their fighting skills. It spread across Sornieth like a large web, the venues linked to each other by threads of magic. The venues did not follow the order of flights, and were instead organised by difficulty. The first venue all dragons started at was the Training Fields, where Tauriel, Onawa and Jormundur were right now. Then it moved on up to the Woodland Path, then the Scorched Forest, and further beyond. The last venues was the Kelp Beds and the Golem Workshop. Only the strongest of dragons survived that far.

Jormundur looked sheepish. "Sorry about that. I shouldn't have left you alone back there," he apologised. Tauriel smiled, her anger somewhat abated, and accepted his apology.

Obviously feeling much better after that, he grinned. "But that was great! We defeated those wretched monsters without any major injuries. I - "

Her eyes wide, staring at something behind him, Tauriel cut him off. "Jormundur, look out!" She cried out.

A large tendril thicker than her entire wingspan shot out of nowhere, wrapping itself around Jormundur's throat. He gasped for air as the tendril tightened its hold on him.

"No!" Both Tauriel and Onawa shouted, lunging forward.

SNAP. A crack resounded through the air. Shocked, the two dragons came to a stop.

Jormundur's head lolled to the side unnaturally, his body turning limp. The tendril let him fall to the ground, before slithering back within the trees. Too late, Tauriel realised that they'd crossed the Fields and were on the very edge of the Woodland Path, where the monsters that lurked within the trees along the path were well known for their ambushes and deadly speed. The culprit of this was no doubt of that area.

A hissing noise startled Tauriel back to her senses. What appeared to be an odd looking plant, with pale orange leaves, light brown tendrils and two flat purple heads, revealed itself from the shadows.

"Janustrap," Onawa hissed.

The Janustrap regarded Jormundur with what seemed to be surprise. "Well now, that wasssn't supposssed to happen." One of its heads said. The other turned to Tauriel and Onawa. "I thought he wasss you." He jabbed in Onawa's direction with a tendril.

Onawa drew back cautiously. "Why do you want to kill me?" She questioned. An odd, punctuated hissing sound escaped from the Janustrap, and only after a second of two did Tauriel realised uneasily that they were laughing, both heads in unison. "Now why ssssshhhhould we tell you?"

Tauriel took a step back as another Janustrap, this time a fully green one, emerged from the trees. "Foolssssss!" The green Janustrap hissed at the brown and purple one. "Don't jussst sssstand there! Kill them!"

The two Janustraps turned to them, but Onawa and Tauriel were ready. Tauriel launched herself at the brown one. This is for Jormundur!

Her teeth sank into one of its leaves. She yanked, and the Janustrap howled as the leaf tore into half. "You will pay for that!" It hissed, lashing out with its tendrils. One of them caught Tauriel's right wing, and she cried out in pain, tumbling to the ground. Twisting around, she checked the damage. A jagged cut ran halfway up her wing membrane. The slight movement caused the wing to scream out in pain, and Tauriel gasped, tears springing to her eyes.

"You cannot defeat ussss, little Fae." The Janustrap slowly made its way towards her. "We know your weaknesssss." The two heads turned to face the sky, before splitting open to reveal the inside.

The smell soon hit her. It was both exotic and enticing, and there was a certain allure to it that made Tauriel swoon. Her body yearned to go over there, but she clenched her muscles in an effort to restrain herself. What's happening? She thought frantically. Her thoughts were clouded and muddy, her mind sluggish and slow. She tried to clear her head, but the fog around her mind refused to dissipate.

Her leg muscles moved, taking a step forward. Then another. It smells like... like flowers, and sweet, ripe fruit, she thought drowsily.

She stumbled forward, entranced. Somewhere in her mind, an alarm went off, but it didn't register with Tauriel. She heard someone calling her name, but it sounded soft and distant.

The sound of cackling penetrated the fog around her mind, and she blinked, her mind clearing. Her eyes widened, upon realising that she was a mere metre away from the Janustrap. Panic hit her, and her instincts screamed at her to flee, but she knew it was too late. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, waiting for death.

The cackling was abruptly cut off by a choking sound.

Tauriel cracked one of her eyes open. One of the Janustrap's heads had been torn off and was lying a few metres away, and the other had Onawa's jaws clamped over its stalk. It gave a gurgling croak, before Onawa ripped its head off. She kicked the heads far away, out of the range of smell, and shredded the body of the plant to pieces.

Tauriel gasped, collapsing to the ground as her muscles relaxed, the Janustrap's hold on her collapsing. It took her a few second to recover, before she struggled to get up.

"Jormundur!" She fumbled her way to the unmoving Mirror. "Onawa, quick! He might still be alive!" She tested him for a pulse, and she felt a faint, slow beat. Too faint. "We need a healer, or a mage. I'm sure we could find - "

"Tauriel."

She lifted her head to meet Onawa's deep blue eyes. The Mirror shook her head. "He'll be gone within minutes. We can't save him."

Tauriel turned her head bitterly. At that very moment, she wished with all her heart that she was a healer, or at very least a mage. She wished she knew how to control the magic within her, and how to draw on it so she could heal her friend. But she didn't. The only other dragons she'd met since she was born was Onawa and Jormundur, both whom were physical fighters. Ilaria, Onawa's water sprite, had a completely different form of magic, and when she'd tried to tutor Tauriel, the results had been very disappointing. Ever since then, Tauriel had known that she'd never be a mage, or a healer. But looking upon her doomed friend's face, she couldn't wish for anything more.

Tauriel took a deep breath, before rising. "End it...." She told Onawa. The Mirror nodded, understanding without need for further elaboration. Tauriel turned away, bile rising in her throat.

When the deed was done, she turned back to Jormundur, tears falling from her cheeks. "Fare..." She swallowed. "Farewell, and may the gods light your path." Onawa smiled bitterly. Tauriel knew the reason behind it; it was the same blessing Onawa had given her dead clan mates. She wondered how she could handle so much pain; there was a constricting feeling in Tauriel's chest, and she struggled to breathe, overwhelmed by sadness at Jormundur's death. Onawa had seen all her friends die, and somehow hadn't sank into the depths of depression. Tauriel admired her for that.

"That's enough for today. We need to find a healer to fix your wing" Onawa turned away from the path. Tauriel nodded; it was certainly too much. As a reminder, her wing burned in pain once again.

She hesitated, looking over her shoulder.

"We can't carry him along." Tauriel dropped her gaze; how had Onawa known what she was thinking? "We have to leave him."

Tauriel hesitated for a second more, before shaking her head, a sob escaping her throat. She turned back and ran to Jormundur. She knelt next to him, a tear falling down her cheek, followed by many more. Through her blurry eyes, she looked upon her fallen friend one last time.

Memories resurfaced, momentarily taking her away from the present. Her, nearly drowning to rescue an egg that had been swept down the river. The glowing pink egg hatching above a warm fire, a green head poking through the shell. Onawa naming him as the sun rose above the horizon. Jormundur and Tauriel playing hide-and-seek within the rooms of the castle. The two of them sneaking out one night to look at the stars.

One particular memory stood out above all.

The four of them - Onawa, Ilaria, Tauriel, and Jormundur - had just returned from the Auction House, where they'd bought some supplies, and were making their way back home. Tauriel had been disgusted by the slave market there, especially after knowing that her mother was one of them, but Jormundur was positively horrified. He didn't talk for the rest of trip, not to Tauriel nor to anyone else, and even after returning he was very reserved, and simply padded along after the rest of them at the tail end of the group, keeping a small distance between them. Tauriel had asked Onawa about Jormundur's change of mood and what she should do. "Leave him alone for the time being," Onawa had advised. "Let him recover from the experience. I doubt it was easy for him."

But Tauriel couldn't bear to see her friend this way. After wrestling with herself for a few minutes, she finally fell back to join Jormundur. Onawa gave her a glance, and Ilaria had a disapproving frown on her face, but neither interfered and simply quickened their pace a little, giving her and Jormundur some privacy.

"What's wrong?" Tauriel asked him. For a few minutes, he didn't answer, simply plodding on his way. Finally he raised his head and without looking at her, replied. "Doesn't it disturb you? Those dragon slaves, who have no control over their lives, often forced to serve cruel masters?"

Tauriel nodded. "Of course I don't like it. You know just as well as I that my mother herself was one, and what she went through. Even if she hadn't been a slave, I would've hated it anyways."

Jormundur was silent for a few moments. "How could they do that to them? The masters, I mean. Do they not realise that those are dragons as well, our kind? That we could easily have been in their situation?"

Tauriel hesitated. Usually, she didn't even have to think when she talked to Jormundur, but he was in a mood unlike anything she had seen. There was a fire in his eyes that unsettled her. "The masters do not know what it feels like. To be controlled by another individual. To have your life in the palm of someone else."

"Then we must make them feel. We must make them understand." Jormundur stated grimly. Even as Tauriel looked at him in surprise, he continued, a tirade of words flowing from his mouth. "This slavery... I refuse to let it go on unchecked. I will not rest until every slave is freed from their pain, every slave trader punished from his crimes. The Auction House must be cleansed of their filth. Only then, will I find peace."

He turned to her, his eyes blazing. "Will you join me, Tauriel, in my quest to find justice? Will you fight next to me, through every challenge we face, no matter the consequences?"

Tauriel was taken aback. She had never seen Jormundur so passionate about something before. He didn't sound like himself at all, and if she hadn't heard him with her own ears, she never would've imagined it was him. It felt as if he had revealed a whole other side to him, one that she wasn't sure she liked. Nevertheless, she knew that he spoke the truth; he would not stop until the slave market was brought down, and until that they came, he would never truly be at peace. There would always be an itch in the back of his mind, urging him on his quest.

She also knew that her loyalty to him had not changed; she would follow him to the ends of Sornieth, no matter the dangers faced.

She nodded, and for the first time since they'd left the Auction House, he smiled.

The memory faded, leaving her feeling sadder and emptier than before.

We can't just leave him like this. She shuddered at the thought of Jormundur's body, festering with maggots and other horrors. No. She refused to let him end that way.

Energy coarsed through her body, fire burning in her veins. The world around her seem to glow, every blade of grass and hanging leaf outlined in red. She looked down at Jormundur, and her mind cleared. She knew what she had to do. Very slowly, she reached down, and touched her snout to his.

A loud cracking filled the air, and Tauriel drew back in alarm. Jormundur's formerly green and gold body was turning a shade of grey right before her eyes, and when it finally covered him completely, it hardened into what appeared to be solid rock.

Starting from the tip of his snout, where she'd touched her nose to his, cracks appeared, streaking down his body. When it reached the very end of his tail, a loud hissing sound filled the air. The rock crumbled into dust, which was quickly blown away by the wind, leaving no trace behind.

Tauriel shakily stood. Somehow, without meaning to, she had summoned magic, and it had left her swaying on her feet from fatigue. Onawa quickly rushed forward to catch her, before placing her on her back. Realising what Onawa was trying to do, Tauriel adjusted herself into the fold of Onawa's clothing to ensure she did not fall off her back if she happened to fall asleep during the ride home.

As Onawa began the trek home, Tauriel turned to face the setting sun behind them, and a sad smile spread across her lips. Wherever you are now, Jormundur, I hope you have found peace.

@Istoki @Tempestuous
Part 4: The Path of Death is up!
Also, I know that I said the Fallen's identity will be revealed in future parts, but I realised that four parts have passed without any explaination, and I feel that if I were the reader, I wouldn't want to have to read five chapters in before actually knowing who the enemy is. Therefore, I've edited a description of the Fallen in the first part. If you don't want to reread the first part though, you can check out the Fallen on the character post on the front page.

@Aravis I call bull! Those Janustraps are the death of our Arcane brethren ToT

Someone give those two a hug T-T