Dragonfire: Genesis Chapter 2

 

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Chapter 2. Darkened

Esti woke up the next morning with her kids still asleep at her side. Words from Esti were a rarity the first few hours of the morning after "his" attack. Esti couldn't even bring herself to even think of Darken's name right now. She yanked her scaly body to a stand, and then trudged over to a crater lake full of water in the center of Origin Crater. It was the only and natural source of water inside the crater. Esti splashed her face full of water with an "ah". She sniffled once and just... sat at the lake for a moment. "Why, Darken?" she muttered to herself. Esti herself couldn't come to a reason. She just kept on thinking of that creepy way he looked at her before he went at her. She was squeamish just at the thought of it and was about to turn back and leave the lake.

Esti heard a deep but familiar maniacal type of laughter gradually sound. She looked around her for who she thought but there wasn't a soul, other than her kids at the crater side not far behind her from which she came. There was nothing but the crater rock, the occasional tumbleweed, and some oval boulders on their sides about, then she turned towards the sound of bubbling, rippling water. "Trouble in paradise?" the voice of Darken said. She remembered that voice, but there was some discordance in it now. She backed up from the water at the image of Darken's head visible within it in. "I'm fine!! Anyways, I saved my kids from you. You can't try to make food of them anymore," Esti bellowed. Her remarks were only met with more laughter. The laughter would continue with her every remark it seems. "You think I was really trying to eat them?" What else could Darken have wanted? Why would he even go out of his way to go near that day? Was she wrong about that day? "Keep your jaws to yourself then!"

"Oh there was no feasting involved, I was merely bestowing my darkened blessing."

"What are you talking about..?"

"Good luck getting through to her, you barely get through now. Soon it will spread to the others, and your kids will be your downfall."

"What have you done to her?!" Esti exclaimed. So it was a girl. Well, more than half of them are girls. She still doesn't know what either! Tears streamed down Esti's face and trickled from down the slanted ground into the oasis.

"All in due time you'll know. This world will be mine and you will be as well, my dark queen."

"Wait!" Darken's image faded away and the water was calm again. So many things were forced to her attention right now: Draconis, her kids, and him still wanting her, among others. "Darken!!" she screamed and slammed her fist on the ground. She took a moment, and then sharply turned herself away from the lake and left like she had meant to earlier.

A short stroll back towards where her kids lay, and Esti's thoughts still raced without end. Again her kids came to mind, and then she was concerned where her kids were during her quarrel with Darken at the lake. Focused on them now, her mind would at least be at rest on a single thing now. A thud was heard, and not from Esti, and then she gazed upon her kids not more than just a few feet from her. They were such a calm, sleeping bunch, and some real shades of blue from light to dark. Their names are Gwen, Ilse, Indy, Nors, Orric, Rin, and Sinon. Though Esti noticed one spot was empty, and then she turned her head toward the small sound of feet getting fainter. She went to see to it s/he doesn't wander off.

Esti snuck up behind without a turn of the shy, little dragoness' head. This one was Gwen and she sat on the top of the crater's rim. "Are you alright, Gwen, hun? Do you want to talk about yesterday?" Esti's not only worried about little Gwen and Darken's apparent fake attempt to eat Gwen, but she hoped it wasn't Gwen that Darken did whatever that he had mentioned about to. Esti wished she knew more, but for now little Gwen was closest to him during the event and seemed to be the most likely. "Dad was scary... It was, it was like he was going to eat me up!" Gwen broke the plain silence of before. A tear or two just streamed down Gwen's face. Esti went to wipe the tear from Gwen's face, but when she looked into Gwen's eyes they gained a purplish glow, and then Esti was sure Gwen's colors just turned a bit darker. The creepy look of Darken's was cast upon her daughter, but what else had Darken done to her girl?! Esti's mind was tossed and frantic. Esti shook as she suddenly wrapped her front limbs around little Gwen and nuzzled her with nose and mouth as she responded. "Gwen, it will be alright, Gwen.." Esti started with "Oh," but kept repeating the rest of this to her in its pattern, but Gwen came to in the middle of it and you bet she was wondering what this was.. Esti just moved her head and arms from Gwen and sat behind her. Esti opened her mouth to explain but Gwen spoke first. "Never said I didn't like it." Esti smiled and nuzzled her once more to Gwen's delight.

A moment later, Esti strolled back over to the other kids with Gwen not far behind. She was darted past by Gwen before the little one sat down by herself not more than a few feet Esti's right from the others. Her little ones were already up and about, and most were playing as usual. Little daughters Ilse and Indy were offering gifts to their mother on their crater's rim next to them all, on Esti's left. Ilse brought mother some fresh flowers she picked, while Indy brought mother some wild berries also picked. She then approached the rim to see her daughters' gifts to her. "Oh the berries are wonderful, the flowers are nice also. Thank you, girls. They're both lovely gifts." She had loved the berries more but stressed that she appreciated both their gifts no matter what. Ilse still looked downcast to her somehow, but Esti turned her attention over to a purple flash from Sinon. By the time she looked over he was tackle hugged over by her daughter Rin, and there was nothing that had seemed out of the ordinary about Sinon.

Although, Esti did not notice that Ilse now had glowing purple eyes and darker colors until too late. Ilse made a sudden jump over her son Orric's rock fort on to the rough catapult belonging to her son Nors' fort. Mud, from the puddle between the forts, on the other end of the catapult whizzed passed and it hit Indy, whom was on top of the rim at the time. Esti gaped as Indy was caused to fall off the rim and barrel down the edge of the crater. She flew up and down past the edge to catch Indy. The little one then rolled down the side of the volcano further. As Esti flapped hard and was close now, she halted herself from smoke that burst out from a side vent of the volcano. She flew through it and she got Indy back into her sight. Indy rolled off a jagged rock, but Esti caught her before Indy fell into trees below. Esti spiraled up and around and took Indy home. She was safe and sound and unhurt.

When Esti checked Ilse she was normal again, eyes and all, but Ilse didn't remember much of anything that had happened. After the gifts it was all fuzzy to the little one, which was just strange to Esti. She sighed and kept watching her kids. Whatever was put on one of her kids didn't seem to be too harmful yet, but she had a feeling that this is just the beginning. When she does find out what it was, she will stop it.

<--- "Dragonfire: Genesis Chapter 1"  | Next Chapter Coming Soon --->