Ani's Pedigree

A crack shattered the stormy night air as another tree ripped from the dirt. The lightning in the sky was only part of the cacophony echoing through the forest. Two dragons, one Red and the other White, were locked in battle, using whatever they could scavenge to give them an advantage. The tree flung from the Red’s mouth and slammed into the white’s side. Purple and yellow swelled from the impact. The White screamed into the night air, flecks of snow drifting from her mouth. A light blue glow radiated from her chest and crept up her throat. 

The Red also prepared his breath as a deep black and violently red light swirled in his own chest. Two roars sounded as they released the energy inside. A swell of heat rose into the air as the breaths collided with a burst of lightning and black clouds. The sudden shifts in heat caused a miniature storm to form around the red and white beams of energy. 

A flash of lightning streaked towards the Red and ran down his neck, arcing in and out of the metal-like plates that had protected him. As another crack of thunder shattered the heavens, the Red fell with a black hole where his chest used to be. The White heaved a shaky breath that rattled in her chest. She collapsed to the soft peat moss and roared in pain, a sound like a cliff face breaking off and falling down a mountain.

The Red’s scales flecked off as they turned to ash, revealing smooth pink skin underneath. A smile crossed the White’s toothy maw as she could see the cuts she had given to the red down his ribs. The deep red gashes were still seeping a thick brown-red substance. 

The White took a deep breath and focused on her side. She had two broken ribs, and she was missing a few scales. It would take weeks for her to heal, but she didn’t need to worry anymore. Taka’dimmaxinuthor was gone. He was better known as the Arbiter, but no one would remember that name if she could help it. 

As the White looked around, she realized the forest was finally quiet. There were no animals in the vicinity and the weather had calmed slightly. The thunder had ceased and rain was falling in light sheets. The leaves caught the water and let it fall below in a quiet patter. 

Suddenly, a warmth passed through the white as she closed her eyes. Ribbons of white energy wrapped around her and she shrank. She turned a pale beige as her long arms cracked once and settled into her shoulder sockets. Her legs flipped position and fell under her body, which thickened and shrank. A long neck disappeared and her head popped into position with a button nose, two grey eyes, and a tight, thin-lipped smile. Finally, her tail disappeared as the weave set her down on the soft peat moss. 

She took a deep breath, feeling her ribs catching on her insides. She knew they would still be broken, but she hadn’t expected this level of difficulty breathing. Sharp stabbing pains accompanied each shallow breath. The White pulled her hand through the air, a strand of green following behind. She touched the ribbon of chaotic energy to her side and sighed as the magic wrapped around her. Two lines shone beneath her bosom as her ribs tried to mend. 

From a distance away, the White heard a shrill scream echoing off the trees. The White turned and closed her eyes, focusing on the odd sound. It was a high-pitched, sustained squeal. There were only brief moments where the scream fell off, where the White assumed the creature was breathing. 

As she wandered through the woods, she didn’t consider that she was naked as the day she was born. Even more so because she couldn’t hide behind her scales. The rain cascaded down her body, over the bruises and cuts that covered her. There was still pain, but something within her pushed her through it. She needed to find whatever caused that sound.

She rounded two large trees whose trunks were at least twenty feet wide apiece. She had never been this deep into the old forest. That was always the Arbiter’s home. Now it was hers. 

Sitting in the middle of an open glade, surrounded by bright green grass, was a young human. He was less than two years old and was swiping at a particularly tall piece of grass as he screamed with everything in his being. The White looked up and saw that the clouds had broken and the sun was shining into the clearing. The bright pink of dawn streaked across the heavens in strips welcoming a new day. 

The child blinked a few times as he saw the white for the first time. His wails calmed, and the white tried to smile through her pain. The toddler wobbly got to his feet and then fell forward into the soft grass. A giggle echoed out as his feet failed to try to correct himself. 

“Mama?” the child cooed once he had righted himself. 

The White took a few steps into the clearing and replied, “I’m not sure where your mama is? You can call me Ani.”

The child tilted its head a bit and laughed. “Ami mama?”

“No,” Ani tried again as she stared into the trees, “I’m not your mama. Do you know your name?”

The boy pushed himself to his feet and wobbled in the soft grass. A step destabilized him again, and he fell back. Around him, wisps of white helix energy wrapped around his waist. He lifted into the air as pink strands drew swirls above him, leaving small trails that formed into words.

“My name is Dedalys and I am alone now. Mother died and Dad’s power just faded. Help me.”

Ani watched as the wind swirled in the clearing, brushing against the grass. It circled Dedalys and then burst towards him. The wind picked him up and flipped him upside down. Without thinking, Ani burst into the clearing and changed back into her dragon form. Her fanged mouth was barely tall enough to grab the child as he floated high into the sky. 

She could feel Dedalys in her mouth and she pulled, feeling something release him. She landed with a thud and the surrounding trees shook with a rattle. Dedalys giggled in her mouth and she blinked once, letting the Weave cover her eyes. 

Above her, coated in a pink dust, was a lanky man flying with six bug-like wings. His eyes locked onto the dragon and he smiled, noticing the magic that was covering Ani’s eyes. He blew a kiss in her direction and it slammed her with a gust of wind that turned her head. 

When she had recovered, the man was nowhere to be seen. Ani scanned the canopies around the clearing and then took into the air. Dedalys chuckled as they rose above the treetops. As she turned, she took in the treetops and the emerald river flowing to the east.

The mountains that broke the continent in half were to Ani’s west and were cloud-covered. The ridges extended South to the Impassable mountains and North to the Umbin Sea. No matter where she looked, she could not spot the pink man. 

Dedalys let out a squeal and Ani focused on her snout. Floating just in front of her nostril, the same size as the flaring hole, was the pink man. His hands were working on the piece of cloth that Dedalys wore. 

Ani thought quickly and huffed out of her nostril. Streams of blue wrapped around the pink man and he laughed lightly. The icy breath built up on the Nymph's nose and ears and small candles of ice rose into the air, making him look like a castle of ice. 

“That won’t work on me.” The man said in a deep, menacing voice. “I will take this child because he’s been abandoned. He is mine by the rules of the forest.”

Ani pulled her neck up, drawing Dedalys away from the man. She knew now why he was invisible and was being quite annoying. He was a nymph of the flowers. He would believe that anything left within his domain was his by right. 

Ani darted back toward the ground as fast as she could. Dedalys was still laughing and, for some reason, this made Ani smile. Her teeth bared, the nymph dodged out of her way even though he had put himself there moments earlier. 

The ground rose to meet her, and she swung her weight so that her massive legs hit the ground first. Everything shuddered as she impacted the hard dirt and Dedalys, for the first time, started bawling. 

She tried to shush the child, but only deep growls escaped from her maw. She shook her head and focused on the weave once again. Rocks shuddered all around her as green strands of energy wrapped around them.

In an instant, the rocks surrounded them and a small green light flickered overhead. Dedalys stared up toward the light, a strand of green energy that dangled from the roof of the smooth dome. 

Ani focused on reverting to her human form, and the dome grew around her. Outside, she could hear the nymph slamming on the rock. If he called for help from a nymph of the ground, they would be in trouble, but a flower nymph wouldn’t be able to get inside. Ani pulled a strand of yellow energy out of the air that jolted back and forth like a lightning bolt. She tossed the Weave at the rock and the dome glowed a brilliant yellow. From outside they heard the Nymph screech and hit the ground. 

Ani reached out toward the dangling green strand and it shot into her hand. The rocks slowly collapsed and rolled back to where they had been. One boulder rolled over the Nymph lying still just outside where the dome had stood. The Nymph let out a sharp gasp and Ani, seizing the opportunity, ran into the forest holding Dedalys.

Ani ran until the stitch in her side from her still healing ribs forced her to slow. She looked behind, but couldn’t see anyone following. Ani looked around and saw the massive trees she had passed earlier. She ran up to one, pulling another green strand of energy out of the air and placing it on the bark. The line sat and slowly sank into the tree, splitting the bark like a zipper. 

Ani took hold of a piece of bark sticking out of the top of the zipper. It slowly pulled down and there was a fifteen-foot cylinder cut into the tree. The magic had carved a small seat out of the wood. Ani jumped inside with Dedalys and the zipper did itself back up. 

As soon as the hole darkened, Dedalys sniffed and Ani shushed him. She placed a hand on the inside wall of the tree and slowly a false window appeared on the tree around her hand. It grew until they were looking out into the forest at a pink nymph running towards them. The nymph shrieked and spun on the spot just outside of the hiding spot. 

“I can smell her.” The nymph growled under his breath. “The child is gone. I will be charcoal by tomorrow unless I can find them. She needs the child. She must get it.” 

The nymph spun on the spot, grabbed at his head, and screamed; a long sustained shout. He fell to his knees and continued muttering. “I will die. I must find him. I must save him. I will leave, search elsewhere. The White cannot have gone too far. The white is weak from the fight.”

Ani smiled as Dedalys waved his hands toward the false window. Ani watched as a shadow approached the Nymph. Wanting to watch and listen, she swiped in the air to pull a white strand of energy out of nowhere. She touched it to the window and two voices squealed for a moment in a burst of noise. Ani twitched and moved the white strand and the noise normalized, sounding like an intercom system. The two figures didn’t seem to hear them inside the tree.

“I promise! I will find the white.” whined the nymph.

“Tsk. Tsk.” The shadow intoned as she coalesced into a shapely woman. Her long raven-black hair cascaded down her back in waves, with stands of shadows drifting in between. When the woman spoke, she had a commanding voice. It was scratchy and deep, and it made the Nymph jump.

“Talie, Talie, Talie, you think I’m going to give you another chance? I have so many others at my disposal. Why should I let your sniveling floral skin survive?”

The nymph was shrieking now. “I have friends, connections across Triga that my mistress doesn’t know about. I can find her, I promise.”

The lady laughed brightly, each scraping sound sending shivers down Ani’s spine. “Connections across this land. That might be useful. Though, in your mindset, nothing will get done.”

The nymph looked over his shoulder at the lady. She was now wearing dark robes that flowed over her body like tar, large clumps of silk bunched together, and smoke pouring from their cores. He attempted a smile and his lips wavered before he began crying again.

“Pathetic.” She sneered as she pulled a long strand of pink energy from the air. She quickly knotted the strand into a sigil that resembled a wolf. With the energy pulsating in front of her, she whispered in a much darker voice, “Release your mind and hunt. Find my child and bring them to me. Then kill yourself.” 

The pink wolf shot forward toward the nymph and he spasmed as the energy touched him. His body fell limp and his eyes glossed over, turning black. He twitched once and then pushed himself up. 

“You didn’t need to do that.” He growled, his voice a mimicry of his mistress. “I would’ve got them either way.”

Suddenly, he twitched, and his nose seemed to vibrate. “I can smell ‘er. She’s right here, listening in.”

With that, the nymph turned and pawed forward on all fours toward Ani’s hiding spot. The mistress stood back and scratched at a spot on her nose as if nothing had just happened. She turned and then stopped as she looked toward the tree. Ani watched as a similar magic coated her eye to the one she had used before. A smile crossed the mistress’ face. 

“Oh, Ani. I’m so glad you’re watching. I’m glad you know I’m coming for you. We’ve never met, but I’ve been tracking your progress, as I do with every dragon that comes into my land.” 

The mistress brushed back her hair and revealed deep blue eyes amidst her perfect face. “My name is Nasal’invaraxx, but you may call me Mistress or the Nascent Overseer. Any of those titles will work. Come out here and face me.”

Ani took a deep breath and unzipped the tree. She placed Dedalys on the seat and stepped out, zipping the tree as she went. When she turned, Nasal was inches from her nose. A smell like rot and death wafted from her mouth and she smiled.

“Ah, my dear.” Nasal began with a hiss, “I’ve missed you.” 

“How do you know me?” Ani asked while keeping a hand on the bark of the tree. Nasal didn’t seem to notice Dedalys was missing. She hadn’t looked past Ani yet. 

Nasal sighed. “You don’t recognize me? That’s unfortunate.”

Ani scanned the woman from top to bottom, but nothing rang a bell. She blinked a few times, trying to recall hearing the name or one of her titles. 

“I wondered if you would. I left in your first year. You were pathetic and weak, and I figured you would die. So, I left.”

“You’re saying that you are my dead mother?”

“Mother? Yes. Dead? Highly exaggerated!” A cackle escaped from Nasal’s mouth. After letting the laugh echo for a bit, she tightened her mouth into a sneer. “I’m surprised you could beat your half-brother.”

Ani thought back to the battle with the Red. When she had killed him, had she felt the power surge that showed the death of a family member? She has been distracted between her pain and the cries from Dedalys. However, she had felt her mother’s death when she was five. A clear burst of power that had resulted in the accidental destruction of a nearby keep. 

“How could you be my mother? I felt her die. I received her power.” Ani’s voice was as crisp as the leaves on the trees that were ready to fall. She shivered as a chilly wind blew through the trees. 

Shadows were rising from Nasal like seaweed floating in the ocean. Tendrils of black that seemed to suck the light from the air. Nasal’s smile widened, and she laughed again.

“That power you felt was your father’s power. I hid him, kept him subdued while you grew. I knew you would believe him dead already and so he hid my presence. When you started to search for me, I heard. I couldn’t allow you to find me while I was conquering the north. I wouldn’t allow you to mess up my plans. So, I killed your father.”

Ani felt a grief within her she had never experienced. A pain for a father she hadn’t known was alive. She had gained and lost a father in a few moments. Ani blinked away her tears, remembering Dedalys within the tree.

“What about the child?” Ani inquired urgently. 

Nasal tilted her head. “I have no idea what you are talking about. The child? That Nymph thinks you are the child.” 

Nasal looked over to the Nymph and Ani saw him for the first time since stepping out of the tree. He was covered in hair and was sniveling. A coarse breathing escaped from his mouth that seemed to stretch out from his face. 

Ani thought quickly and said, “What do you want with me then?”

Nasal paced in front of Ani. Her footsteps black in her wake. Veins of black crept over the grass and gave Ani the impression that Nasal was actively causing death to spread from her. 

“I want you to join me. With your brother dead, I need a vassal over this area of the continent. We are slowly weeding out the controlled dragons from the humans up north. If you kill the small settlements down here, then I can focus on killing the queen.”

“You want me to kill humans?” Ani asked, ashamed of her mother’s words.

“Humans, yetis, and a tribe of nymphs. Shouldn’t be too difficult for you if you killed Taka.”

Ani shook her head and stumbled backward. “No, never! Dragons are meant to work with humans, not kill them!” 

Nasal sneered again and growled deeply, “I can force you, as I did with Taka and your father. There is nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Except for this!” Ani screamed as she pulled a strand of purple energy from the air with her left hand and a green strand with her right. She quickly twisted the two together and forced them into an archway. 

The surrounding forest darkened as Nasal tried to pull shadows into a weave. Strands of blue and red coursed out of the inky blackness that drifted behind her hand. 

Ani watched the hand and noticed that she was keeping it up in the air, expecting an attack on her head. As Ani pushed the archway forward, she flicked her hand down toward the ground. The archway flung under Nasal’s feet and she fell into the portal that opened. 

A gale of wind whistled through the archway as Nasal held on by the tips of her fingers. The nymph, noticing his master, jumped through the portal into a white landscape that was void of any landmarks. The great ice plains in the center of the Impassable mountains were a place only a few knew of. Nasal couldn’t teleport out without knowing where she was. 

Ani ran up to the edge of the archway and stomped on Nasal’s fingers. She shrieked in pain and let go, the portal closing and only a few flecks of snow showing that anything had been there before.

This would not be the end. Eventually, Nasal would find her. For now, Ani smiled. He was safe. She turned and wandered back to the tree where the green strand still dangled. Ani unzipped it to see Dedalys watching her, wide-eyed. 

Dedalys hiccoughed and said, “Uh, oh.” Suddenly, his chubby legs were extending. His fat face was thinning, and a snout was growing where his nose used to be. His skin was turning a glimmered, transparent black like obsidian. Small scales seemed to etch into the gem-like skin as a tail grew from his backside. The tail was incredibly skinny and bore two sharp sword-like spikes. The spikes curved like scimitars from the end of his tail. Two small, juvenile wings, like tarps of silky darkness, extended out from his back and he fluttered them as he giggled. 

Ani stared in awe as Dedalys turned into a gemstone dragon sitting gently on the stump. The last of which was said to have been seen in 2278 of the Second Era. Over ten thousand years ago. He smiled at her, his sharp, transparent teeth showing behind his lips, which, while appearing transparent, showed nothing inside. 

Ani laughed and said, “Well, at least you’ll be able to protect yourself from your grandmother.”