｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐹𝒶𝓁𝓁 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Rhaemarys

I often wonder what would have happened had I done things differently. Had I not rebelled, had I complied with my orders and obeyed the King. Would I still be in these chains? Would my soldiers be dead?

We weren't naive by any means, we had hundreds of years under our belt. The dark ages they called it, the age of fire we called it but then humans and fae can be so unimaginative at times. So stuck in their ways. We were liberators, freedom fighters, until we weren't. Until it went too far.

I have seen many things in my life. War does that to you, friends blown apart, ripped to shreds by hounds, a loved one dying in your arms. I had seen the decimation of cities, the extinction of races and the destruction of worlds. But this- this was the first world I saw built. Something new and clean and pure.

Of course we had to taint it. It's just the way we work the way everything works but by Tiamat damn us, this was too far. We were slavers, experimenters and dictators. Not just conquers because before we built our empire and cared for those under our reign but this new son of our king he wanted and he burned with it.

We followed our order. We shouldn't have but we did.

I'm ashamed to admit that I only looked up from the war when they started taking my brethren. Stronger they said, they would make us better and more powerful. They would make us the perfect weapon is what they meant, the perfect tool to wield and control.

I remember them coming for me, a lowly lieutenant on leave with her family to celebrate my nephews 5th name-day. They came in legions with drekaeitur to poison us in our homes and chains of pure silver to burn our human skin. For that was one of the curses that the fates deemed us worthy of in price of our power. To burn under the touch of silver and drown in water as the price of our fire and dragons.

They took the dragons down in seconds. Seconds. Our powerful legion was taking down by fucking humans, fae and betrayers. No one knew who came first, the Drekafólk or the dragons and after, well... there wasn't much difference between us by that point.

I remember the cell, the empty room with white sandstone walls deep beneath the ground. A mockery of the underground dragon nests. Dragons dig a den in the side of cliffs so they have the comfort of a nest and the freedom of flight. To see the creatures I deemed my family wilt under that hunk of rock. I wanted those traitors to burn.

I don't think about what happened in that room, under that mountain. I can't bear it. Can;t bear the havoc they wrought on my body with their drugs and elixirs and skin patches. The mutations were horrific. I watch my fellow soldier's skin warp and mould, melting off his face to reveal the scales hidden beneath his skin. Except it kept coming. Their stupid scientists couldn't stop it and my friend, my brave dragon rider fell to pieces as the spells destroyed him from the inside out.

It would always start the same. With the silver blood, the mercury that they pumped us full off. Or maybe it was silver that time. It was one of the two. Our hair would bleak silver white, then our eyes would fog over until they were no more than a shimmering stained glass, unseeing and fogged. Not that there was much to see in the darkness in which we dwelled. We had already been buried in our tombs, even if that wasn't the send off we deserved.

But the experiments kept going wrong and that mercury filled blood started with nose bleeds and tears of the finest silver dripped down our face until we choked on it and drowned. Then it stopped. They had succeeded. We were the perfect tools, broken beyond repair and ready to comply.

That was the first time I had seen sunlight in decades, or maybe it was months, the time didn't matter. It never does after a certain point. I wasn't supposed to live this long anyways. I was born human and then the silver killed me, except they brought me back.

The fates gave me mercy, they showed me a world of peace. A place I could rest and be free of suffering. Those betrayers played at being gods and brought me back. They didn't understand why I had been killed, why fate did it out of mercy and the scientist out of fear but they brought me back because they wanted me. Which makes me their problem now. 

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝒷𝑒𝓁𝓁𝒾𝑜𝓃｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Men are stupid, that's a life lesson for you ladies. Oh there are cunning men, brave ones, ones born in darkness so vicious that they are consumed by it, those that turn into monsters and demons and those that are angels and pure. But the average, everyday grunt which is the vast majority is thick, stupid, idiotic and plain killable. They travel in herds, little sheep following their shepherd as they bleet out orders and pretend to be in control.

Some stalk through us like predators assessing prey, mistaking their size and number as infallible strength but it's nothing without the right knowledge. It only takes one weak link, one dumb little fucker and our chains are broken.

It was that simple. Some of the women slept with the men to take their weapons and money once they slept and had their throats slit in their dreams. Others went on killing sprees, hunting their tormentors like the little piggies they were. Many of my brethren found it too much, too much pain, too much suffering, they begged us for mercy. After everything I couldn't bear not to grant their one wish.

I sometimes think they are lucky to have escaped such a fate as ours. To be free in the eternal sky as they dance with the families high above. Sometimes I think they are cowards, too weak to do the real work, to fight it out and battle on through. But most days I just grieve for them.

That was the easy part, escaping the chains and burning the dead so that their ashes could float on the wind. Leaving and remaining hidden was the hard part. Constantly looking over our shoulders as we were hunted like dogs until I could free the rest of my kin.

The mother had created the dragons first, as protectors of nature. They were the only ones to have the power of fire beyond the destruction of lightning. Then the Fae saw what it was to possess such a thing and they learnt to make their own. The humans were slower, they were more animal than refined civility like the Fae at that point. But they felt and burned with it in their own way so the mother gave us an alliance. Between our people and the fire dragons of the north, the sea serpents of the south and eastern ice-

"Must you really list-"

"Do you want the fucking story or not?" I demand, glaring through the stonewall as though I could see whoever lurked in the other cell.

It sighs, "Continue, it's the only story someone will read out to me for another millenia."

The point is, the dragons were our allies and our protectors. We cared and protected them as hatchlings and they protected us in turn. It was brutal to say the least for they had captured and corrupted dragons of their own. Enslaved them till they lost all thoughts of freedom and broke their sanity. Till they were no more than beasts and weapons. Not to mention the experiments and hybrids they were attempting to create.

Because for all they used the dragons they still feared their power. They needed their own version of a dragon - one that was loyal to them without question.

The war lasted for centuries. We fought and fought, killed over and over until we realised we were no longer ageing like humans would. In fact we weren't again at all. I watched my kin die to war, famine and age, yet I remained on thanks to whatever they did. It was a losing battle from the start, they were breeding their own dragons and abominations - wyverns, twisted creatures that seemed more Valg than fire serpent.

Our people on the other hand lost their mates in battle and couldn't bear to raise children in a war zone. Eventually we were all slaughtered and captured until the only dragons left were under their control and even then once the dust settled and the blood dried they were executed as well.

"Then how are-"

"Will you let me finish!" I exclaim in frustration, tugging at my braided silvery hair.

"You take too long." It hisses back.

"Forgive me for not having a companion for the last thousand year-"

"I was here before you-"

"-and we never spoke. You asked for this story, need I remind you."

"I'm running out of room to write it down."

When the highlords had finished slaughtering my kin they couldn't kill us. Those of us with silvery in our hearts and mercury in our veins. Our skin wouldn't allow it. That once imperfect human skin full of blemishes and freckles had turned into Fae smoothness that would shift into the scales of a dragon whenever a blade neared and we were nearly impervious to all forms of magic though there were loopholes for imprisoning us.

"So that's how you ended up here." It whispers and for the first time I sense sadness in its voice. "The high lords couldn't kill you so they trapped you in here."

"They trapped all of us here." I whisper. "All of us that survived."

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓈𝑜𝓃｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"What are you?" The Bone Carver asked what could have been years after my story, its hard to tell down here.

"I do not know." I murmur, tracing a hand across the silver veins under my skin. "I was a human once, I know that. I had a dragon too- and she is still with me but- she is me- or I am her."

"I was a human once too."

"Were you?"

"No. But I do not know how to relate to you." I chuckle at the words, the sound foreign and shaky on my lips.

"I wasn't always this though." It states suddenly as though surprised by its own words. "I know that. I don't know what I was, or how to describe what I am now but there was a life before this one."

"Do you want to remember?"

Silence. Then-

"No. I don't think I do. Do you wish to remember who you were."

"I remember enough." I whisper. "I remember the important things."

"What do you deem important?"

"What I am going to do when I get out of this cell, who I am going to kill."

"She got out."

"How."

"I am not sure."

"And who."

"She calls herself Amren now. She has forgotten who she once was. Who she was to you."

"She could never forget."

"No- but she is trying to."

"There is war outside. I can feel their deaths." It sings through the walls as though the deaths only entice his hunger further. Rage coating its voice as it snarls. "I wish I could walk among the battlefields. See it. Feel it."

"I wish I could be in the skies." I murmur, to race through the clouds and descend upon in fire and rage.

"Do you think we will die here?" It murmurs, voice curious.

"I refuse to." I state as I re-braid my hair.

"Still defiant after all these centuries." I think it's amused with me.

"I cannot face the alternative." I confess.

"It might be the only option." That sounds like its own confession.

"Do you want to hear a story?"

"About death."

"All the good ones are."

"Life is good."

"Life leads to death, that is what I wish to tell you about."

"I am tired."

"I wrote another story today."

"Okay."

"It was about a mother and daughter."

"They died."

"Brutally, wings gone and heads chopped off."

"How cruel."

"They sent the heads to the family."

"Do you wish to-"

"Not today."

"I have a beetle in my cell."

"Would you like to see it?"

"It has shimmery green and blue scales."

"I could describe it to you."

"I am good with stories."

"The others grow restless."

"They share stories down the cells."

"Would you like me to repeat them to you?"

"Your soldiers grow weary without you."

"They miss your guidance and council."

"Will you not speak to them."

"We lost another of your kin today."

"I am sorry little drake."

"Don't leave me Mary."

"Rhaemarys?"

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐸𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝑒｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

"Do you wish to leave-"

"Don't talk to her!"

"Be quiet Bone Carver. I will talk to who I wish."

"She needs no bargains from you."

"Doesn't she?"

Silence.

"I know you have grown weary general but I know a way for you to leave here. To escape and move on."

"Dauoa?" I murmur, hoping that my friend listened to the creatures conditions for my freedom

"Take the deal Mary. You cannot die here like your kin. I won't allow it."

"What do I need to do?"

"Nothing, soldier. I am Suriel. I have some sway over the prison and it has deemed you changed."

"It has deemed her broken enough-"

"Quiet Carver."

"Dauoa."

"The cell is open little drake. You just have to step out."

"Dauoa." I say with more urgency as I take in my cell with clarity for the first time in centuries.

"I cannot come with you and you will not come back for me."

"Dauoa I-"

"I know."

Outside. I am outside. A shuddering breath escapes me as I look at the sunlight seeping into the cave entrance. I can see it around the corner but I daren't step any closer. It burns my eyes and shatters my soul.

There's something so delicate and precious about. It's so fragile. I didn't remember it being so-

I don't remember what I thought it was like.

Slowly, after what could have been hours the sunlight begins to wane to I step forward. I refuse to look at the open cave mouth, I just stare at the sunlight lighting up the dust and dirt against the stone walls.

I slowly raise my hand, so pale, so fragile I am. Tentatively I touch the light but there's nothing there. I frown. My hand sinks into the sunlight only for it to be bathed in a warm yellow light, so soft and gentle against my skin and I swear I can feel it warm me.

Twisting my hand I slowly play with the sunlight, admiring it as I hold it in my palm. Half a thought has a ripple of shimmering black and blue scales trail down the back of my arm. Only three rows long with each scale no bigger than a beetle. A row of spines runs down the centre of the line and they extend and stand on end as I brush the sunlight across my scales.

I gasp at the sight, at the shimmering beauty still hidden by the dullness of my scales. The dragons would have scolded me for not caring for them.

The sun is leaving.

Why is it leaving? Did I do something wrong?

Something claws at my chest. Gripping my throat as something similar to fear drowns my thoughts.

"Breath child." That raspy ancient voice whispers but I can't listen.

I fell to my knees. My hands scuff and claw at my throat and I feel my fingers extend into claws. Blood. There is blood pouring down from my throat.

"Enough. I will not allow you to cause yourself pain."

Hands, rough and like spindles press against mine and I peer up at the hooded figure. It's is thin, underfed. It should feed, it won't be able to survive winter like this with the hollow cheeks and protruding round eyes. It reminds me of what a human looked like after death. The husks of their body.

"Your concern is unwarranted but appreciated." It murmurs soothingly and their is a curious glint in their eyes that has me pausing. "Though your thoughts on my appearances are both accurate and could be considered insulting."

Do I want to insult it?

"No, you don't. Because I am going to help you."

How?

"I am going to show you how to live again."

A/N: What do you think of the back story so far?