Page 8 of Klauth
I spare a last glance at the writhing flames, at the silhouettes of dragons scrambling in terror. No remorse flickers in my heart. Only the steady, familiar burn of rage remains. I gave them my wrath; soon, I’ll bring the blues a matching end.
At dusk,I stand on the jagged ledge overlooking the valley below. The rocky surface under my claws is cold and coarse, scraping at my scales as if to remind me of my mounting irritation. I can feel my muscles tense each time the blue dragons circle overhead. Their mere presence sets my teeth on edge, and every breath they take feels like a personal affront—an insult to the hatchlings I lost. It breaks my heart to think it may have only drawn a few ragged breaths before death claimed it. That knowledge robs me of sleep, gnawing at my mind like an open wound that refuses to heal.
The wind whips against my face, carrying the tang of night-blooming flowers and the metallic scent of stone. It’s too peaceful a fragrance for a moment like this. I want the air to burn with the same fury that’s burning inside me. Thauglor stands beside me, every bit as silent and focused, though I sense his impatience too. We’ve marked our targets carefully, including the elusive shadow dragons. But first, we strike the blue dragons tonight.
My plan is simple: Thauglor will spread his acid across their compound under the cover of darkness, and I will follow with fire to raze their domain to the ground. Let the flames consume them, returning them to the dirt from which all life first emerged. The thought of it stirs a dark satisfaction in my chest, though it does little to soothe the ache of losing my clutch. Nothing can fill that void, yet I crave retribution.
Tilting my gaze skyward, I note how the stars gleam like shards of broken glass. The Dragon Star shines brightest, perched in the middle of the crescent moon. A weary, broken part of me prays that this alignment might one day bless me with my true mate. I’d wait five centuries—no, a thousand years—to feel that bond. The memory of my parents’ devotion haunts me; they found each other and stood side by side for all their days. I yearn for that same destiny. Right now, though, it feels like a pipe dream, and I can’t help wondering if I’m just a fool chasing the idea of love.
Thauglor rumbles low in his throat. “It’s time…” His voice holds the tension of a coming storm. Without waiting for my response, he hurls himself off the ledge, wings slicing through the air as he dives headlong toward the unsuspecting blues below. I watch the toxic green glow of his acid lighting up the night, filling the air with a sizzling hiss. My lips curve into a harsh smile, my blood roaring in my ears.
A burst of heat floods my veins as I leap into the air, following him. Today is a good day for the blue dragon nest to die. Revenge will never bring back my hatchling and clutch, but it’s the only solace I have left—and I will seize it with everything I have.
Chapter Seven
I circlehigh above the Blue dragon nest. My wings slice through the frosty night air. I watch Thauglor spew acid onto everything below. The cold wind bites at my scales. A stench of rotting eggs and burning metal drifts upward. Buildings and creatures disintegrate under the corrosive spray. My stomach churns. Yet something about this attack feels off—a subtle dread lingers.
Thauglor roars. The sound rattles my bones and sends shivers along my scales. It signals me to strike. I fold my wings and dive. The wind shrieks past my ears. My chest tightens with adrenaline. I unleash my fire. The surrounding air ignites and scorches the ground as I pull up. Then a torrent of magic slams into me. It feels like a thousand electrified ropes lashing around my body. They twist, burn, and bind me in a searing grip.
Below, the mages shout in unison. Their voices echo, vibrating the night. Sparks of brilliant gold and violet energy whip across the sky like scattered embers. Desperate, I hurl my breath weapon. I sense their shields falter under the intense heat. Whentheir power wavers, I tear free. My heart hammers against my ribs.
Thauglor and I bolt away. We skim along the rugged coastline. The salt wind stings my nostrils, and I taste brine on my tongue. Staying close to the water cloaks us in darkness. Waves rise like towering walls. They slap our chests and force us to fight for balance. My wings ache with every beat. Cold sea spray blinds me with its sting.
The dim glow of sunrise creeps over the horizon. My compound emerges from the darkness. Anxiety clenches my gut. I stay silent, not wanting to attract attention. Near the half-finished construction site and the central tower, nothing stirs. The oppressive stillness claws at my mind. I circle once, scanning the area. I motion for Thauglor to return to his nest. If something waits for me, I will face it alone. I refuse to drag my friend into my doom.
I angle toward the upper level of my dwelling. I prepare to shift back to human form for a silent landing—but my body does not cooperate. Terror floods me. My muscles burn as I fight a transformation that will not happen. Thauglor’s distant roar confirms he, too, is trapped in his dragon form. Panic gnaws at me. We are being hunted.
I brace to take flight again. The courtyard arches fill with hooded figures in dark robes. They are mages. Their eyes glimmer with triumphant malice. They chant in a harsh, grating language that sounds like stones grinding together. My limbs seize. Every tendon screams as unseen forces bind me. Thick ribbons of shimmering energy coil around my legs, wings, and neck. A tightening ring cinches my jaws, forcing them shut. I thrash wildly. My heart pounds as if it might burst. The more I struggle,the tighter the bands become. My lungs heave. Every desperate breath burns, and fear spikes through my veins like ice.
“Silly dragon, thinking you’re stronger than us…” The lead mage steps forward. Moonlight glints off his silver blade as he slices a scale from my leg. A searing pain shoots through me. My roar is choked by the band over my maw. I taste copper as he holds the bloody scale like a trophy.
“I bind you, Klauth, to a prison of my choosing,” he intones. His voice reverberates with cold power. Sparks of violet crackle along his fingertips. “Never to kiss the sky again. I curse you, Klauth, to be trapped in an egg until Underverse comes.” I feel despair wash over me.
I watch in horror as the torn scale multiplies and warps. Each shard twists into a jagged piece spinning in midair. They knit together, forming a small dragon’s egg that pulses with an eerie glow. “I curse you, Klauth, to remain a prisoner of your own desires,” the mage continues. His eyes reflect an unholy light. “Your freedom is denied until a rare female from rival dens comes for you. Your pride will be your undoing. A mate like that will never be born.” His words cut deeper than any blade.
Bile rises in my throat. My fear twists into crushing dread. The air tightens around me, crushing my lungs. Each breath is a struggle. My body feels like it is unraveling—bones compress, muscles shrink, and every fiber cramps in agony. My vision blurs. Swirling fragments of glowing scales dance around me in a macabre whirl. They glow with a sickly light.
I try to roar, but it comes out strangled. The mage’s laughter fills my ears. “I hope you enjoyed your last flight,” he sneers. “History will say you went mad, lost to your dragon, and becamea danger to all. No one will ever claim your egg, even if it ignites for them.” His words echo in my ears.
The spinning shards converge, closing in until all I see is their blinding brilliance. A final circle of light vanishes with a soft click. I am plunged into total darkness. The restraints melt away, and I can move again—but there is nowhere to go. My talons scrape the smooth interior. The sound is a sickening screech that sets my teeth on edge.
My mind reels with claustrophobic terror. The egg’s walls vibrate with each ragged breath. They mock me in this tight, unforgiving prison. I cling to a faint hope that the mage’s death might break this curse. But how long do humans live? A century, perhaps? That thought offers little comfort.
Resignation weighs on me like a tombstone. There is no escape. I do not know how long I will remain sealed away from the world. My heart thuds dully, fear crawling beneath my scales, while exhaustion seeps into every fiber of me.
I close my eyes. There is nothing else to do. Sleep beckons, luring me from this crushing reality. In the darkness, I drift, clinging to the hope that someday the curse will break and I will feel the sky beneath my wings once more.
I wonderhow long I’ve been trapped here. Days? Weeks? Months? Maybe centuries. Darkness surrounds me. I hear only faint, muffled echoes of voices beyond my prison wall. Their sound is distant yet haunting. The oppressive dark clings to myskin like damp cloth, and a chill runs through me at the thought of those unseen figures—so close, yet impossibly far. I cannot tell whether to hate their presence or cling to it for a shred of hope.
“Welcome to the cursed egg chamber,” a voice declares. It reverberates off the hard shell around me like distant thunder. By whatever vile curse binds me, I hear it as if the speaker stands right beside me. I feel the vibrations ripple through my confines.
A female voice then instructs, “Call to the eggs. If one ignites, it is yours to take until it hatches or falls dormant.” Her tone is practiced and commanding. It churns my gut with a bitter resentment that I can almost taste.
Again and again, they come. Their words blend into a low, droning hum—some chanting, some praying, some babbling nonsense. Each new set of footsteps makes my heart lurch. I cannot see them. I cannot fight or flee. I can only endure. Anger festers in me like an open, raw wound.
Then someone announces they are picking me up. I tense. Every sense sharpens to a razor’s edge. I feel a sudden tug through the shell—a surge of vitality that makes my chest constrict with desperate hunger. I draw it in. Did I just consume that fool’s life force? Horror and relief twist in my gut. At least this curse lets me survive in this abhorrent prison.
The room falls silent. A door slams, its sound echoing through the oppressive stillness. Time drags on. Each second feels like an eternity. My own breath thunders in the suffocating space. Loneliness crushes me. My chest aches, and panic threatens to tear me apart. I long to scream, but only ragged silence escapes me.
