Song: Afterlife by Ivan Torrent ft. Celica Soldream

Thankfully the sun is going down and the moon is on the rise. If it was up to me I would have Rowan take me far away from here. Just the two of us but then I think of Silver and it would not be right to leave him like this. I know I have to return and face my punishment.

The moment we land, I notice the whole community is there already. This is a big ordeal apparently. Of course it is who am I kidding here. I went against the rules. I knew that Onyx Quarters was off limits. I didn't know then but I know now it's because of the falling water beyond it holds a whole new land that we were not allowed to know about.

Then there is Silver. I made the mistake of letting him come back with me. What was I thinking? I should have never allowed him to come back with me. I should have known better but I really enjoyed having him travel with me. Rowan stops in the opening and I slid down from him, placing my hand along his face. He makes a low groan and I know he is still hurting. I turn to him and kiss him lightly. "I will be right back." I turn and slowly walk in the other direction.

I look over to see Silver staring at me. I should have walked right over to Malachite but I don't, I need to talk to Silver. He is still be held by the arms of the tree. The long limbs entangle him so that he is not able to escape.

He seems really happy to see me. "Is that really a dragon? You weren't lying...you actually have a real life dragon." Ok, maybe more happy to see that there is a dragon. I nod my head yes and just smile letting out a light giggle at him because I find it quite amusing that here we are and he is imprisoned by the tree and the first thing out of his mouth is about Rowan.

"That is Rowan. I tried to tell you before but you insisted that it is all in my head...my imagination," I pause for second. "Look I don't know what is about to happen but I wanted to thank you for helping me get back home. Rowan was very sick and weak and needed me by his side and...and..." I stop because my name is being summoned.

I turn to look at Malachite and the back at Silver. "I'm sorry if I can't save you from here." I feel my eyes water up and when I look into his eyes I see his eyes start to glass over with tears as well. I'm not sure about my fate but I am sure that they will never let him leave here. This was all a mistake. I wanted to lean in to kiss him upon his cheek but thought maybe I better not with all the fairies and Malachite watching my every move.

"Azurite...le do thoil; tat u ag iarraidh mo foighne." (please, you are trying my patience.)

I quickly reach over and pat Silver's hand and turn to fly towards Malachite for my ruling.

"Azurite you went against the higher power. Even though you knew Onyx Quarters is off limits you chose to go in there anyway and not only that but you took matters into your own hands and caused your dragon to be harmed."

"But I..." I try to defend not only myself but Rowan. I would never intentionly harm him in any way, however Malachite will hear nothing of it.

"HUSH!!!" He bellows and you can hear his voice echoing in the distance. The whole woods go disturbingly quite, not one sound is made. I can only hear Rowan not far from me breathing deeply. "And you still stand here and disrespect your elders...your leader. You will receive ten lashes for disobeying the orders," he bellows as he stares fiercely at me.

Ten...ten lashes. No one has ever been harmed in this land that I can recall of. I mean I have heard of it happening, those tales to scare us when we were little but this he has got to be lying. I don't have time to say anything before his army grabs my arms in a death grip and holds me down on the cold stone that lies ahead of me. I feel the vines from the plants nearby wrap around my wrist to hold me down. I can't think, everything is happening so quickly. My mind races in all directions trying to figure out a way out of this but it's too late.

I don't see it coming because it happens so fast that all I feel is a sharp sting and it radiates through my ever being. It takes my breath away as I gasp out in anguish pain. Each blow is excruciating, a pain that I cannot explain in words. Each blow causes my eyes to stain open wide and then close tightly right back, knowing another is about to replace the last. I get a glimpse of my surrounding each time all eyes are on me as every being stands by and watches me being punished.

Rowan screeches out a painful cry and I know he is feeling my every lasting pain. The army has to hold him down from not attacking anyone. By the time the last one comes I am spent. I can't even hold myself up if I wanted to.

Malachite walks over to me and squats down to look at me on my level. "That was for disobeying me," he says with an icy evilish glare. He straightens back up and turns to look towards the crowd. "This is what happens when you disobey my orders. This is a warning to all of you." He stops and turns to walk back over to me. I can barely hold my head up so he helps me by grabbing a hold of my hair and forcing me to look up at him. "Now for bringing one here to our land, our land is sacred...no one from the outlands are welcome here. You have caused great danger to all of us by bringing him here. You understand that right?"

I try to nod. I glance over at Silver and fight back the tears. I see something in his eyes. I sense anger and something is starting to come over him but I'm not sure what that is.

Malachite squats down again and smirks. He turns his head in the direction that I am looking and see Silver trying to break free. He turns back towards me and his voice goes deep and scary and actually really frightens me. "I will make an example out of you." He stands straight again and raises his voice for all to hear, "You will be stripped of your wings."

I'm sure I did not hear him correctly. My wings...stripped of them. Taken from me. How! Why would he be that cruel. This has to be a sick joke, a misunderstanding. But it's not. I see all frightened eyes cast upon me. My mother rushes out to me. She has tears streaming down her face and she is begging and sobbing to let me go. My dad on the other hand looks more scared than anything he flies out behind her to hold her back. My father speaks up first, "Please Malachite, she has been punished enough. Please have it in your inner soul to just let her be. She meant no harm and this outsider, he can be dealt with but I beg you please release her."

My mom covers her whole face and starts to sobbing uncontrollably as my dad holds her up. I can only imagine what they both are feeling. Of all my years, not once have I seen them so upset.

"You realize what your daughter has done?" he says sternly.

"Yes...and it will never happen again...please," he begs.

He shakes his head no. "I suggest you step back." Malachite saunters over behind me. I can feel the negativity from his energy. I close my eyes as he places a hand in the middle of my wings along the center of my back. I feel his other hand brace one of the wings and he runs his hand up causing me to shiver and not in a good way and then all the way back down and when his hand tightens his hold on the base part he tightens his grasp even harder and with a quick twist of his wrist it snaps. My body rises off the stone and then falls back down. I feel my eyes roll to the back of my head and I let out a death wrenching cry. I feel the torturous sharp stinging making its way to my back bone and into the core or my body. I don't think I am going to be able to live through this amount of suffering.

What catches my attention is Rowan. He lets out this god awful scream and he falls to the ground. That's when I realize that this is not just killing me but killing him as well. He can't survive without me, being a fairy without wings...I am nothing.

Scolecite flies over to me and falls to his knees and starts to beg Malachite to stop. "That is enough! You are not only killing her but her dragon as well. She has had enough." He reaches over to me and cups my cheeks in his hands. "Hold on Azurite...hold on."

"Are you defending her? Do you have any idea what you are doing? You are united with Jade and you are defending her?" he roars in a highly pissed off tone.

Scolecite stands up and straightens his body bucking up to him. "She is still my friend. I still care for her regardless."

"You have no right to defend her. I order you to step down," he roars again, the vibration from his voice is almost deafening. Malachite doesn't waste any time grabbing hold of the other wing and snapping it off within seconds before anyone else can interrupt him. He kept his word to prove to all the others that he is the one that rules this land...not us. I fall limp on the stone.

Having one wing being snapped was one thing, the second practically finished me off. I force myself to look up to see Rowan collapse on the ground with a very long drawn out sigh. His eyes are slowly glassing over in a white film. I want to go to his side, to hold him in the last moments but I am still being held down by all the vines.

I let out a very high loud pitched cry, not from being in physical pain even though I was in so much at the moment but my heart is being broken, shattered into a million pieces. This is what it feels like to have your heart crushed, to lose the closest thing to your heart, your only true friend...your dragon. I close my eyes and wail.

I'm not really sure what happens next but I am being ripped away from the vines and I am set free. I feel the release and I don't have the strength to stand on my two wobbly legs so I crawl over to Rowan.

"No...no...NO!" I collapse at his head. "I failed you yet again. I never meant for this. Please...wake up...wake up now." I cry the loudest blood-curling, gut-wrenching scream as I realize it is too late. He is gone. I pound on him to wake up but nothing happens. He has gone stone cold.

I fall to his side and sob as tears stream down my face.I don't think about what is happening around me, all I can focus on at the moment is Rowan. How could I let this happen?

I hear Malachite deep voice echoing and saying something about never returning, "Exiled and never to return to our land."

Before I can even muster to stand up to dodge towards him, something comes up behind me and sweeps me up and I am being rushed out of there.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Tears...I want to cry. I'm sorry for the cruel punishment. What do you think will happen next? Please comment...vote...share if you are enjoying the story line.