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Murex lay on the ground, head rested on his forelimbs, staring into the black void in front of him. His tail twitched, striking the ground with a rhythmic pat pat pat. He let out a shuddering sigh, squeezing his eyes shut. No matter how he looked at it, he was doomed.
I wonder when they’re planning on finishing me off? Murex thought darkly. I hope they get it over with soon.
His wallowing was interrupted by the sound of stone grinding against stone. Murex stood, wincing at the pain in his leg, and strained his eyes forward. A pale light shone through a crack at the end of the room, which gradually widened as a large boulder was pushed aside. Squinting, he could make out the silhouettes of centaurs peering into the cave. Murex walked toward the opening experimentally, but was predictably stopped short by the heavy tether around his neck. The chain clinked against the floor as he stepped back.
To Murex’s surprise, the centaurs turned away to let a decidedly non-centaur entity into the cave.
The green-scaled spiral dragon glided sinuously through the opening in the stone, clutching in one talon a brass lantern that cast light and shadow into the cave for the first time in quite a while. Her scales had a dramatic reflective quality to them, scattering green light onto the granite walls like a gemstone. Although she floated in place, the coils of her body traced complex knots in the surrounding air. A green mask covered her snout, such that only her cool white eyes were visible above.
Murex shrank back instinctively, feeling cornered.
“Let’s have a look at you then.” The spiral said. She wound her way toward him briskly, until she was mere feet away. She raised her lantern, illuminating more of Murex’s body in a yellowish light.
Murex froze, holding his breath tightly.
She used her free paw to abruptly grab the side of Murex’s face, tilting it towards the light. Her touch was shockingly cold - he flinched - but he was held in place while the spiral examined him.
“That’s an ugly scar.” She said cooly, retracting her arm.
Murex hissed, shaking his head slightly. He tried to search the spiral’s face for any clue as to her intent but found only a calculated stare.
“You’re not a centaur.” He finally ventured.
“Correct.” The spiral floated around to Murex’s side, and he shuffled away slightly, limping as he did so. The chain clattered noisily.
“Lots of scars, skinny… that leg’s no good either.” The spiral remarked dryly. “You aren’t winning any beauty contests, mirror.”
“No I suppose not.” Murex replied stiffly. His eyes tracked the other dragon warily as she drifted around him. “Who are you? Why are you working with these centaurs?”
“My name is Leah.” She replied after a moment’s pause. “Centaurs… are all I have ever known.”
“Wha- did they kidnap you?” Murex asked.
“No, of course not.”
“Oh right, of course - that would be stupid.” Murex snarked, his eyes narrowing.
The mask made Leah’s facial expression hard to read, but the way her body began to move betrayed her irritation.
“Dragons like you… invading our territories… finding sport in killing us… we are being more than merciful.” She snapped. Her breath escaped from the fabric of her mask in a cold, white cloud.
“You were hatched among these centaurs?”
“Yes.”
Leah looked at him defiantly, as if daring him to make a comment. He shook his head and changed the subject.
“What do you want from me?”
“Tomorrow, I’m going to sell you.”
Well – he didn’t see that one coming.
“I beg your pardon?”
“We need supplies… weapons… medicine. You’re a sorry specimen, frankly, but you’re still worth something.”
Murex was slow to respond. This was just too nuts.
“This seems like a drastic way to make some coin, doesn’t it?” He remarked.
“Hardly.” Leah replied. “You dragons sell your own kind all the time, to serve in your petty wars. In any case, our scouts tell me you weren’t too hard to catch.”
Murex scoffed, glaring at Leah. He opened his mouth to issue another rebuttal when a cold shiver of realization ran through him. There was no way he’d be in this position for much longer, not with his pursuers so anxious to reassert control.
“My… ‘clan’,” he said, slowly, “will be looking for me. I would strongly… strongly recommend releasing me.”
“Nice try.” Leah growled. “I know that you mirrors have no sense of loyalty or compassion or family. You’re on your own, and they won’t be looking for you.”
Murex croaked out a nervous laugh. It was almost funny.
“What?” She said.
“It’s just – I’m not in a mirror pack, and I probably won’t ever be again.” His voice shook.
“You just proved my point.”
“No – ha – you don’t understand. I’m not living with mirrors, I’m living with monsters.”
At this thought, Murex’s heart began beating more quickly – he was trapped and tethered, this was dangerous, this was bad! He backed away from Leah’s lantern, clutching at the chain helplessly.
“If you keep me here, everyone will die. They can’t stand the thought of me escaping, they’ll come for me. They might try and take you!”
The air surrounding Leah grew frigid. “Calm down. How can I be sure you aren’t lying?”
Murex shook himself, his orange-coal eyes meeting Leah’s.
“You- you mentioned killings. Have you ever noticed bodies that are beheaded… or mutilated… or missing?”
After a pause, Leah broke eye contact with Murex, her ears pressed backward.
“I’ll speak with the warleader.” She said finally.
“Hurry.” Murex said, urgently. “It might not be much longer until – “
A scream and a roar resonated from above.
Day Fifty-Three:
Murex lay on the ground, head rested on his forelimbs, staring into the black void in front of him. His tail twitched, striking the ground with a rhythmic pat pat pat. He let out a shuddering sigh, squeezing his eyes shut. No matter how he looked at it, he was doomed.
I wonder when they’re planning on finishing me off? Murex thought darkly. I hope they get it over with soon.
His wallowing was interrupted by the sound of stone grinding against stone. Murex stood, wincing at the pain in his leg, and strained his eyes forward. A pale light shone through a crack at the end of the room, which gradually widened as a large boulder was pushed aside. Squinting, he could make out the silhouettes of centaurs peering into the cave. Murex walked toward the opening experimentally, but was predictably stopped short by the heavy tether around his neck. The chain clinked against the floor as he stepped back.
To Murex’s surprise, the centaurs turned away to let a decidedly non-centaur entity into the cave.
The green-scaled spiral dragon glided sinuously through the opening in the stone, clutching in one talon a brass lantern that cast light and shadow into the cave for the first time in quite a while. Her scales had a dramatic reflective quality to them, scattering green light onto the granite walls like a gemstone. Although she floated in place, the coils of her body traced complex knots in the surrounding air. A green mask covered her snout, such that only her cool white eyes were visible above.
Murex shrank back instinctively, feeling cornered.
“Let’s have a look at you then.” The spiral said. She wound her way toward him briskly, until she was mere feet away. She raised her lantern, illuminating more of Murex’s body in a yellowish light.
Murex froze, holding his breath tightly.
She used her free paw to abruptly grab the side of Murex’s face, tilting it towards the light. Her touch was shockingly cold - he flinched - but he was held in place while the spiral examined him.
“That’s an ugly scar.” She said cooly, retracting her arm.
Murex hissed, shaking his head slightly. He tried to search the spiral’s face for any clue as to her intent but found only a calculated stare.
“You’re not a centaur.” He finally ventured.
“Correct.” The spiral floated around to Murex’s side, and he shuffled away slightly, limping as he did so. The chain clattered noisily.
“Lots of scars, skinny… that leg’s no good either.” The spiral remarked dryly. “You aren’t winning any beauty contests, mirror.”
“No I suppose not.” Murex replied stiffly. His eyes tracked the other dragon warily as she drifted around him. “Who are you? Why are you working with these centaurs?”
“My name is Leah.” She replied after a moment’s pause. “Centaurs… are all I have ever known.”
“Wha- did they kidnap you?” Murex asked.
“No, of course not.”
“Oh right, of course - that would be stupid.” Murex snarked, his eyes narrowing.
The mask made Leah’s facial expression hard to read, but the way her body began to move betrayed her irritation.
“Dragons like you… invading our territories… finding sport in killing us… we are being more than merciful.” She snapped. Her breath escaped from the fabric of her mask in a cold, white cloud.
“You were hatched among these centaurs?”
“Yes.”
Leah looked at him defiantly, as if daring him to make a comment. He shook his head and changed the subject.
“What do you want from me?”
“Tomorrow, I’m going to sell you.”
Well – he didn’t see that one coming.
“I beg your pardon?”
“We need supplies… weapons… medicine. You’re a sorry specimen, frankly, but you’re still worth something.”
Murex was slow to respond. This was just too nuts.
“This seems like a drastic way to make some coin, doesn’t it?” He remarked.
“Hardly.” Leah replied. “You dragons sell your own kind all the time, to serve in your petty wars. In any case, our scouts tell me you weren’t too hard to catch.”
Murex scoffed, glaring at Leah. He opened his mouth to issue another rebuttal when a cold shiver of realization ran through him. There was no way he’d be in this position for much longer, not with his pursuers so anxious to reassert control.
“My… ‘clan’,” he said, slowly, “will be looking for me. I would strongly… strongly recommend releasing me.”
“Nice try.” Leah growled. “I know that you mirrors have no sense of loyalty or compassion or family. You’re on your own, and they won’t be looking for you.”
Murex croaked out a nervous laugh. It was almost funny.
“What?” She said.
“It’s just – I’m not in a mirror pack, and I probably won’t ever be again.” His voice shook.
“You just proved my point.”
“No – ha – you don’t understand. I’m not living with mirrors, I’m living with monsters.”
At this thought, Murex’s heart began beating more quickly – he was trapped and tethered, this was dangerous, this was bad! He backed away from Leah’s lantern, clutching at the chain helplessly.
“If you keep me here, everyone will die. They can’t stand the thought of me escaping, they’ll come for me. They might try and take you!”
The air surrounding Leah grew frigid. “Calm down. How can I be sure you aren’t lying?”
Murex shook himself, his orange-coal eyes meeting Leah’s.
“You- you mentioned killings. Have you ever noticed bodies that are beheaded… or mutilated… or missing?”
After a pause, Leah broke eye contact with Murex, her ears pressed backward.
“I’ll speak with the warleader.” She said finally.
“Hurry.” Murex said, urgently. “It might not be much longer until – “
A scream and a roar resonated from above.
Day Fifty-Three:
My nuzlocke! ^
