The Child of Cataclysm

Chapter 9

Well, here it is!  The climax of the story!  Thank you to everyone who has made it this far, I do greatly appreciate people reading my first complete original story.  Before the chapter begins, I will warn that the POV will flip from Martier to Skirin at some point.  This is because the story was never about Martier: it was about Skirin.  It just wasn't revealed until now.

Anywho, enjoy!

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"My Child...I have sensed your coming...I have awaited...your arrival..."

"I...I don't understand..." Martier stammered, looking between Cataclam and Skirin, "I thought Enoch was Skirin's father?"

"Enoch...is my true name... Cataclam...is a curse..." Skirin's father rumbled.

Skirin shook his head in disbelief. Martier could see tears welling up in Skirin's eyes.

"My Child...how you have grown...I am sorry...for all that I have done...to you..."

"What happened to him?"

Martier was about to ask the question on Skirin's behalf when Enoch spoke again. "The Cult of Ashla...did this to me... They cursed me... Made me their slave..."

Martier's heart clenched. They came here to kill Cataclam...only to see it was Skirin's father all along...as a prisoner...

"I'm...sorry," Martier said.

"Champion of My Child...don't be... Thank you...for all you have done..."

Skirin hovered in the air, silent.

"What do we do now?" he eventually asked, looking back at Martier.

He shrugged.

"My Child...come to me..." with a groan that made the cavern shake, Enoch opened his mouth, the teeth parting to form a passage into his body.

"Skirin?" Martier asked anxiously as the dragon looked forward

"It will be fine," he responded as he moved forward, entering the great dragon's maw.

Ice lined the walls of Enoch's throat as they flew deeper inside. "My Child...losing you...was my greatest pain..." Enoch's voice resonated from all around them.

"I missed you too...father," Skirin thought in response.

They emerged from the passage to find a cavernous space. Frost covered the rocky walls of the chamber, and what looked like veins protruded from the floor, walls, and ceiling, forming platforms and archways. A pearl of ice as large across as Skirin hovered in the center of the vast space, a light inside it pulsing rhythmically. Enoch's heart. Attached to the heart were three very large chains.

"What...what happened to him?" Martier asked in shock, looking around.

"It's the curse...it's been eating away at him from the inside..."

"My Child...Champion of My Child...perhaps you...will bring an end...to this..."

"We will father. We will end your suffering."

"I hope...that you do...but I am sorry...for you must BE DESTROYED!"

A roar shook the cavern as shards of ice-covered rock flew up and surrounded the heart, forming plates of armor around it. "What's happening?!" Martier shouted.

"It's the curse! Cataclam is taking over!"

Some of the rock pieces had grouped around the heart to form the shape of half a dragon's body with a head and two arms. Cataclam looked towards them with eyes of blue flames of hatred.