Just a short(ish) Chapter to set up for the next one <3
Enjoy x

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Chapter 42 | Grief and Bloodlust

*

The world was on f i r e
and no one could save me
but you.
It's strange what d e s i r e
will make foolish
people do.
I never d r e a m e d,
that I'd meet somebody
like you.
And I never dreamed,
that I'd lose somebody,
like y o u.

- 'Wicked Game', Chris Isaak

*

CIRCE

Circe rested on the railing of the ship with her eyes set on the dark mass slowly growing larger against the horizon. About an hour ago Obsidian had lent over her shoulder to direct her eyes towards the shape, his voice low in her ear.

"Do you see that, there?" He had guided her line of vision by grasping her wrist and extending her hand out for her, pointing her fingers towards the otherwise unnoticeable blip in the flat line of ocean. "That is where we are headed."

"It's the same as what Anthemin showed you?" She had probed, her fingers twitching with the desire to fly there immediately. But she had to be patient, she had to wait. They had a plan.

"The very same," he had confirmed.

"I want to go now," she had confessed.

He had dropped her hand to encircle an arm around her waist, pulling her back into his chest as though to restrain her. "I know," his voice was tense, and Circe had wondered then if it wasn't so much about him restraining her, but more about restraining himself. "I want to go too."

Obsidian still stood behind her now- they had not moved – both still gazing out at the same place, lost in thought.

"Bones," Cobalt's voice was quiet, but it drew their attention immediately. The other man had appeared silently, and now hovered at the top of the stairs, fingers grasping the railing loosely.

"What is it?" Obsidian asked curtly. His arm around Circe's waist had loosened with time, but now it tightened again possessively. 

Cobalt's silver eyes gleamed as he sent his brother a profound look. Circe couldn't place his expression, but she thought that she had never seen Cobalt look so uncomfortable.

Obsidian sighed, squeezing her again briefly before letting go. "I'll be back," he assured her, swiftly pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Wait here."

She made a noise of agreement, watching them disappear down the stairs to the lower deck and out of sight. The door to the Captains quarters opened, then closed with a snap.

Circe turned to look back out to sea, sighing heavily. The atmosphere on the ship was intense, the whole crew were set on edge and barely anyone spoke as they fulfilled their duties on board. The low, grey cloud from that morning had not lifted, and it lay like a suffocating blanket across the ocean, making the mood even more oppressive.

Circe's fingers beat out an impatient rhythm on the wooden railing as she watched the dot in the distance slowly draw nearer. Her gaze flickered to the person leaning against the same railing, a little further down from where she stood.
Zalas's white eyes had been closed practically ever since Hobbson had finished his recount, but Circe knew better than to think him asleep.

If anything, he was communicating with Unabonan; although the dragon had remained out of sight since they had set sail, Circe knew he was present- keeping pace with the ships just under the surface of the ocean.

She glanced up at the crow's nest. That girl was up there as well, what had Zalas called her? Elika? Circe hadn't seen her either, but she knew the air nymph was there, she could feel her watching.

"Don't pay her any mind," Zalas's spoke abruptly, his tone aloof, "she knows to mind her own business."

Circe considered him for a moment. Everything about the Dragon Prince was pristine and collected as usual. Looking at him now she was barely able to bring to mind the almost frantic rage, with which he had confronted Obsidian with earlier.

Are you okay? She wanted to ask, because she was concerned about him, despite everything. But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to speak the words, instead asking: "Is there any news?"

"No news." Zalas shifted slightly, opalescent eyes blinking open. He was a pale smug of white against the grey back drop and Circe was struck by how out of place he looked in that moment, standing on the wooden deck of a pirate ship like a human, when he was so obviously anything but.
Zalas had never meant to be earth bound, Circe thought vaguely, he was always meant for diamond palaces in the sky.
She wondered if he was missing his home.

Her gaze shifted to the crow's nest again, where she felt the eyes still watching. She wondered if Elika was missing her home as well.

"Circe,"

Startled by the sudden uncertainty in Zalas's voice, she glanced at him, surprised. He was frowning slightly, his eyes pinned straight ahead.

"You know," he said, somewhat hesitantly, "that there could be a good chance of us finding more than your brother today."

It took a moment for Circe to understand the implication behind his words, but after a moment she nodded slowly. "You mean you think my Father might be there?"

Zalas nodded. "Remember Obsidian said-"

"That when we found his Uncle, we would find my Father," Circe finished, "I remember."

How could she not? The image of Obsidian, raging while restrained, as he spat out those words would forever be etched into her mind. She would never forget the uncharacteristic hatred in his eyes as he had looked at her, nor the loathing contempt with which he had spoken her name. Although she now knew that his memories had been influenced at the time, although she had long ago forgiven him, there was still a tangible ache in her chest whenever she recalled that day. Absentmindedly, she rubbed a hand over her heart, as though trying to sooth the pain. She could feel her pulse beating tangibly beneath her skin.

"Of course, you would," Zalas murmured quietly, more to himself than her; and then louder- "We now know he was talking about Kronos. So, it would make sense that if Kronos is on this island, then your Father, my Uncle is there too."

This conversation was a welcome distraction from staring out to sea at a black spot that didn't seem to be getting any bigger, so Circe made an effort to continue it.

"What is he like? My Father?" It was something she had thought about often, and now that she had the chance to ask about it, the question fell easily from her lips. "I don't even know his name," she realised then.

"His name is Zephyr," Zalas answered immediately, seemingly as glad for the conversation as she. "Before he vanished, he was the pride of the Air Kingdom. 'The Great God of the West Wind,' the people called him, the 'Warrior Prince' that led our armies and tore through the enemy like a hurricane incarnate, the Right Hand of King Cepheus, Aranel's Father." His head fell back as he stared up into the clouds, seemingly lost in a memory. "I was young at the time, but I still remember how our entire Kingdom mourned when he went missing." His eyes slid shut, lips thinning as he recalled. "First their King, and then their Warrior Prince. It was a devasting time for my people. For my family. To have him back- I can't even imagine what it would mean for my people, or for my Mother." He looked to Circe, "Or what it would mean for your Mother in fact."

Circe mulled over his words slowly. "My Mother didn't speak about him really, but I know from the recounts of others that she wanted to find him. But ..." She trailed off awkwardly, the words 'she loved someone else' hanging unspoken in the air between them.

Because she had. Nathaniel was proof of the fact that Evangeline had loved another man. And having grown up with that man as her Father, Circe found herself feeling slightly complicated.

Zalas seemed to sense this. "Any choices made by your parents, are not your concern Circe," he reminded, a surprising gentleness colouring his tone, "I doubt Zephyr would hold a grudge if he is alive. He was not that type of person."

Circe sighed, "I know, it's just ..." she paused, unsure of how to word her emotion. "I just feel sorry for him. And I am almost angry with my Mother, but at the same time, I know she loved both of them deeply. And if she hadn't, I wouldn't have Nathaniel. But I almost feel as though she doesn't deserve to have him back if we find him. Is that wrong?" She felt frustrated, unbelievably so.

"No, I don't think so," Zalas's long white hair swung forward over his shoulder as his head dipped in thought, "You are feeling injustice towards the one you perceive to be the victim. But remember Circe, Zephyr left to hunt down Zeus against both our Mothers wishes. He knew that Evangeline was pregnant with you, and that if her pregnancy were discovered before their relationship was made known to the Public, that it would impact her negatively, as the Queen of a Kingdom. In that sense, he is not completely the victim."

"I guess," she conceded.

He sent her a wry half smile, "This is why I said that the choices your parents make are best left for them to worry over Circe. In this particular scenario, there is nothing you can do to change what has been done. People will handle it according to their own feelings."

"When did you become so good at giving advice," she grumbled, even though she knew this had always been a strong point of his. After all, he had mentored her through her Air weaving training and her capability now was largely due to his guidance. She regretted complimenting him almost immediately though, as she watched his head figuratively double in size.

"It is expected of me," he said, his modesty ruined by the smug look on his face, "you know-"

"Yes, I know," she rolled her eyes as she quoted, "with you being a Prince and all."

He frowned at her, opening his mouth to retort, but before he could speak a voice rocketed through both of their minds, diverting their attention immediately.

Something is wrong. Unabonan was on edge, and immediately Circe turned back out to sea, searching for the black dot she had neglected to watch during her and Zalas's conversation.

"What is it?" Zalas hissed, his expression abruptly serious.

There is turmoil.

"What do you mean brother? Details, give me details."

Circe raised a shaking hand, her eyes fixated on the dark smudge that upset the horizon. "Zalas," she faltered, "what is that?"

The Prince whirled around to look in the direction she pointed and immediately his face hardened into stone.

"Unabonan," he said coldly, "forget the plan. We are going now."

Circe barely had time to register his words in shock before the ocean beside them split open, spewing forth the great Dragon Prince who rose effortlessly into the air without pause, his great wings casting a shadow over Circe's head.

Zalas was suddenly gone from the deck, leaping onto the giant, white scaled back before Unabonan rose too high into the air.

"Tell him to follow!" Zalas called out to her.

She knew without thinking who he was speaking of and with her breath caught in her throat she turned towards the stairs in panic.
He already knew though, of course he did, and he met her at the top before she even had a chance to take a step down.

His expression was thunderous, and he grabbed her with a snarl, scooping her up into his arms as he ran towards the edge of the ship. Without hesitation, he leapt onto the railing and launched them both off the side.

His form changed in mid-air, the hands holding her lengthening into talons, the skin beneath her fingers becoming scaled and glossy and she felt the sudden tug as his wings unfurled, lifting them up into the air before they dropped into the ocean that had been rapidly rushing to meet them.

"Get onto my back," Obsidian's voice was rough in her ear, his golden-yellow eyes fixated on the duo in front of them, "I need to shift fully if we are going to keep up."

She obeyed him without thought, scrambling fearlessly around him till she clung to his back like a limpet.

"Good girl," he growled, the words twisting even more as he morphed under her hands. She felt his muscles grow and shift, bones clicking into place, wings stretching out impossibly on either side of her, all of it happening in a matter of seconds.

The expanse of his back beneath her now was massive and she stood, holding onto his long back spines for support as she walked up to the point between his shoulder blades. Her face was grim as she looked towards the cause of all their disruption.

What's going on? She projected the thought, not only to Obsidian, but to Zalas as well.

I'm not sure, the both of them replied in unison.

Like her, they could see that the black dot in the distance that signified their destination, was not the same as it had been before. They had grown close enough to it, during Circe and Zalas's discussion, to be able make out the distinct triangle formation the two rocks created, but just before, Circe had watched as these rocks seemed to crumble in front of her eyes. Now she watched in horror as a beast rose out of the wreckage, it's gargantuan size formidable, even from a distance.

Another Dragon? But even as she spoke the theory, she knew it to be wrong. That beast was no Dragon.

That's not a Dragon. It was Unabonan who spoke to her this time, voicing her own fears for her.

Obsidian was silent beneath her, but she could feel the solid wall of blackness that equalled the fury in his mind. His great wings laboured tirelessly beneath her as he pushed himself to go faster and with her own sense of urgency rising, Circe aided him, manipulating the air currents to rise under his wings and carry them forward.

Vanima.

She whirled around to see Anthemin rise up beside them, the younger dragon straining to keep up with the two larger beasts. Immediately Circe split her attention, dragging the air currents to assist the smaller dragon. Anthemin fell back a little grudgingly, to fly in Obsidian's wake, Obsidian's massive form paving the way forward and relieving some of the resistance.

Anthemin, she thought in relief, I'm sorry I couldn't wait for you, everything happened so fast-

It's alright, her dragon replied, I am here now, you can-

No, Obsidian snarled out, before the young dragon could finish his sentence. She stays with me. Circe could hear his great jaws snapping with displeasure as he flew.

Anthemin's pale eyes narrowed and his top lip curled in annoyance. His neck snaked forward to nip at the end of Obsidian's tail, expressing his discontent. But we always fly together.

Not this time. Obsidian growled; I don't know what to expect when we arrive. I need her where I can see her.

Circe's eyes softened. Anthemin, she said gently, just this once alright? She heard Obsidian grumbling in the back of her mind that it didn't have to be restricted to 'just once' but she ignored him.

Anthemin was clearly unhappy with the arrangement, she could see it in his beautiful eyes, but after a moment, he conceded.

I'll make it up to you, she promised him tenderly, before turning to glare at the back of Obsidian's horned head. You'll make it up to him too, she thought to him privately. 

I'll do nothing of the sort, Obsidian replied fiercely. He should consider himself lucky, if I had it my way you would fly with me always.

They were gaining on Zalas and Unabonan and a moment later they drew up alongside the duo. The two dragons still had to fly quite a distance apart, as their wing spans were immense, but Circe could see Zalas balancing easily on Unabonan's back, his white hair streaming like a banner in the wind.

Do we have a plan? She asked.

No plan, Zalas replied immediately, just be prepared to fight. I don't know what that thing is. I am trying to contact Father.

Father referred to the Dragon King, Circe knew. Looking ahead she shuddered to think what kind of beast could be so ancient that only the King of the Dragons might know what it was. As she watched, the terrible creature rose up into the sky and at the same time, it seemed to take the island they had been aiming for, with it. Circe could see the turmoil in the ocean, even at this distance, as great hunks of what appeared to be rock, fell from the wings and body of the beast.

The creature pulled its body from the ocean laboriously, eventually freeing itself entirely. It hung bloated in the sky for a moment, before it began to turn, giant wings beating a disjointed rhythm as it pulled itself higher into the clouds above. It moved faster than Circe had expected and eventually the grey clouds swallowed it whole and it disappeared from sight.

It's getting away! Obsidian roared, his jaws opening to allow a flick of impatient flame to escape.

Calm down, Unabonan's mental voice was heavy as he powered through the sky, such a creature is easy to track. I can feel its presence profoundly from here. To follow it later will not be difficult.

Obsidian let out a snarl of frustration, his neck straining as he pushed himself forward even faster than before.  Circe continued to assist him silently, her gaze fixated on the remaining rubble the beast had left behind. She tried to calm the distress in her heart, but her anxiety was becoming unbearable. If Nathaniel had been on that island just then ... she pushed the thought from her mind. He is alive. He has to be.

Aranel is still there, Circe could hear the tension in Zalas's tone. She took his words to mean that those left behind should still be alive.

Should be, she couldn't help but think morbidly.

They were closing in on the remains of the island now and a minute later they swooped over-head, Circe peering frantically over the side of Obsidian's torso to scan the turbulent waters below. The beast had left little behind, but a few shards of rock remained, sticking resolutely out from the ocean as the waves battered them mercilessly. Her heart thumped erratically as she picked out the shape of a person on one of the pillars.

I see them! She thought urgently. Glancing around quickly, she was able to spot a couple of other figures.

I see them too, Zalas replied. He sounded edgy. Double back. Unabonan, stay in the sky. In case that beast returns, we can't be caught off guard.

Anthemin, come with me, Unabonan requested. The younger dragon complied with the order, peeling off Obsidians right flank to soar to the white dragon's side.

Obsidian looped around, approaching for a second time. Be ready, he warned Circe and she nodded, preparing to jump.

He passed over top of the rocks and she picked her timing before flinging herself off his side and catching herself with the air currents. Almost immediately she saw Obsidian shrink in size, his massive, draconian body folding away into nothing.

He landed on a rock below her, retaining his half dragon form, black scales coating his legs and lower torso like armour. She floated down towards him and he stretched to catch her, steadying her as she found her footing. The exposed skin on his arms and chest was burning hot, as though he had just stepped out of an open flame and she realised that he was shaking, every muscle in his body stretched taut with anticipation.

Zalas landed on another stone pillar with a thud, the rock cracking under his feet. He too was cloaked in a scaled armour and a thick white dragon tail swished restlessly through the air behind him. He glanced around furtively, counting the bodies that lay, scattered and lifeless, on the surrounding rocks. His opal eyes narrowed as he picked out the two, dark coloured dragons that were slumped on the outskirts, before skimming over the cave like prisons that had been dug out of one of the last remaining walls. They were empty. He looked instead, for a splash of tell-tale white hair. He found two.

Circe however, had only had eyes for one since she had landed and she stumbled out of Obsidians arms towards him now, half jumping, half flying, in her desperation to reach him.

"Nathaniel," she called to get his attention; his golden head was turned away from her- but the emotion clogging her throat choked her words on the way out and they disappeared in the wind. She swallowed and tried again. "Nathaniel!"

This time her call reached him, and she felt her heart swell with relief as his head jerked up, snapping around to find her as she soared towards him.

For a moment, his eyes grew wide with what seemed to be elation, but as she landed by his side and reached for him, the fleeting expression of joy on his face crumpled like folded paper, leaving nothing but misery in its place.

"Circe-"

"Naddy," She cried in a mixture of panic and relief, "Are you hurt? What's going on? What happened?!" She patted over his back frantically as he sobbed into her shoulder, checking him for injuries. Her fingers moved to his head where she found chunks of matted blood lodged into his wet curls and a large lump building beneath. Immediately she poured healing energy into her fingertips, the soothing blue light passing through to his skull in a steady, unbreakable stream.

She could feel the water from the ocean soaking into her knees where she crouched on the stone, Nathaniel's cold, wet body pressed into her front and chilling her further. She had been occupied with her brother from the moment she had landed beside him, but now, with her healing light pouring into his body, she took a moment to assess their immediate surroundings.

It was only then she realised that behind Nathaniel, lay another person. She did a double take and time seemed to slow as she took in the horribly familiar face and the body covered in blood.

Nate felt her freeze and his sobs worsened, the words falling from his lips unintelligible.

"Nathaniel," she spoke his name to assure herself that the boy she held in her embrace, was indeed her brother, "Who is that?"

"I couldn't save him," came the broken reply, "I tried, but I wasn't enough."

A terrible anguish was building in Circe's heart, one that she was at loath to acknowledge. She gripped her brother tighter, unable to pull her eyes away from lifeless form behind him.

It can't be you, she thought fleetingly, I didn't even get a chance to know your name.

His blonde curls were as wet as Nathaniel's, darkening them to a deeper gold and she was sure that beneath the closed lids, his eyes were as blue as her own. A small smile lingered on his blue lips, his face angelic in its tranquillity. The image of peacefulness was only destroyed by the mass amount of blood that saturated his clothing, and as her gaze wandered down, she realised she was kneeling in it, that it was not sea water as she had originally thought.

Now that she was aware, she realised that Nathaniel too, was covered in the gory shade and she pulled her hands away from his sides to find them coated in red.

"He was bleeding so much," Nathaniel was crying, "I'm sorry Circe, I couldn't- I can't-"

"It's okay," she said numbly. She pulled her eyes away from the corpse of their brother and held Nathaniel tightly, pressing her face into his hair. "It's going to be okay."

*

ZALAS

Zalas spied Aranel at the same moment as Obsidian.

Without a pause, he leapt towards the prone form of his sister, and landed just in time to block a black scaled foot as it descended downwards viciously, with the full intention of crushing Aranel's skull into the rock.

"Why did you stop me," Obsidian snarled out, his voice distorted with rage, "I was just looking to smash in her head."

"I can't let you do that," Zalas said coolly, surprised by how calm he felt. His arm came up to parry the other man's attack and their forearms collided, the metallic ring of their scaled armour echoing around the broken landscape.

"She deserves it," Obsidian hissed, his golden eyes taking on a yellow, draconian tinge, "After what she did to me, and to Circe, the fucking bitch deserves to burn in hell." His arm shot out towards her and Zalas blocked him, his tail lifting to pummel into Obsidian's side, knocking him back a few paces.

The man's scaled armour was stronger than last time though, and the blow barely seemed to hurt him. His own tail lifted, swinging around to knock Zalas's out of the way, his leg lifting to drill his foot into Zalas's chest.

Zalas caught the appendage with gritted teeth, locking his hands tight around the ankle and twisting harshly. For-seeing the attack, Obsidian jumped to spin in time with his twist, using Zalas's hands as leverage to launch his other foot into the Prince's face. Forced to let go of the foot, Zalas's ducked just in time as the others kick sliced through the air above him.

Obsidian lunged forward, but Zalas caught him again and their hands locked together in a deadlock as they grappled against each other for the upper hand, jaws snapping and snarling with animalistic rage.

The surface of the rock pillar was small though, and it was easier to attack than defend. Inevitably, Obsidian found his way past Zalas's defences and a black clawed hand sunk into the Prince's shoulder. Zalas hissed in pain, reaching out to grip Obsidian's shoulder in turn, preventing him from moving any further forward.

Obsidian growled in frustration and dug his claws deeper into Zalas's shoulder.
"Tell me I'm wrong!" He roared vehemently, "Tell me I'm wrong for wanting to kill her. You can't, can you? Because you know I'm right!"

"You are right," Zalas conceded through gritted teeth as he pushed Obsidian a step back, forcing himself to ignore the pain, "But I still can't let you kill her."

"Why?!" the other exploded, baring his teeth in a feral grimace, "Why, damnit!"

"Because." White eyes met gold, and the next words spoken created a brief moment of clarity. "She's my sister. If it were your brother, who had betrayed you, betrayed your country ... even then, would you still be willing to step aside and let someone else release them from the consequences of their actions?" Zalas felt the claws retract from his shoulder slightly and he continued, his face hardening into stone, "I will not excuse her, for what she has done," he spat out, "and that is why I can't let you kill her."

For a moment they remained at an impasse and then abruptly, Obsidian was withdrawing, his talons retracting, his face thunderous.

"Tch," he turned and spat into the ocean, flicking a scowl in Zalas's direction. "Fine." He warned, "But let me be clear- whatever punishment, you come up with for her, if I don't feel it's satisfactory, I will hunt her down. And I will kill her." He promised.

Zalas's eyes narrowed. There was no doubt in his mind of the weight behind the others threat. Unfortunately, this man standing before him, did now have the power to challenge him directly. He was not to be underestimated.

"I understand," Zalas replied swiftly, making his acknowledgement of the warning clear.

Obsidian grunted, pent-up anger still seeping from his pores as he struggled to control his bloodlust.
Zalas watched him fight to restrain himself, feeling that the notion was not unfamiliar.
He, himself, had felt that same rage many times before. The inhumane thirst for all things savage when he allowed the dragon inside him to take the lead, and the battle to regain some semblance of humanity afterwards.
He was not ashamed to admit that, when he was younger, there were times were it consumed him.

Zalas's eyes flickered over Obsidian's shoulder to where Circe kneeled on another stone pillar, the person Zalas assumed to be Nathaniel, locked in her arms.
"Something isn't right there," he said curtly, his observation drawing Obsidian's attention, effectively distracting the other man.

"Your right," Obsidian said brusquely.
With one last burning look of hatred for Aranel, Obsidian disappeared from in front of Zalas, reappearing a second later at Circe's side.

With the immediate threat sedated for now, Zalas turned away from the little group, to look back down at his sister.

Sighing slightly, he crouched down to push her hair back from her face. She was out cold, her sallow skin impossibly pale against the wet, black rock. As he took in her familiar features, Zalas was suddenly struck with an incomparable sense of loss.

This was the woman who had practically raised him, in the place of their Mother. The person who had always remained by his side, throughout everything.

What have you done, he looked at her in silent desperation, as though by some miracle she might wake and tell him it was all a bad joke, this time- as the future King of our people, even I cannot find an excuse for your actions.

Bitter tears gathered in the corners of his eyes and as he forced himself to look away, to stand, to push his biased feelings to the wayside, one traitorous tear escaped, running a tormented rivulet down his face, before dropping and disappearing into his sister's colourless hair.

"How could you do this," he whispered sorrowfully, "knowing the choice I would have to make."

How could you do this to me?

*