The Siege Of Drakkon: Book Three Of The Drakkon Series

Chapter Twenty

Alessandra Drakkon

Queen of the Drakkon Empire

"Welcome to the realm of shadows, daughter of Kiara." I gasp standing up from my seat on the couch and looking behind me, everyone around me was frozen in place as if time was stopped here, I watch shadows converge slowly forming a solid shape until Numa walks through it to stand before me.

"Numa! How are you here?" My voice trembles, I couldn't believe he was here, how was he here, why was he here, so many questions ran through my head.

"I've been with you for quite some time, daughter of Kiara, but you already know that, my totem is dangling around your neck. Did you think a representation of me was meaningless, powerless? Did you think I would not watch over you still after you left Solveig? That I would not be strong enough to visit you out of my temple?" His tail whips back and forth as he seems to take offense at my words, I fall to my knees before him, still in shock by his prescence here.

"I apologize Numa, I meant no offense, what do you require of me?" He had to be here for a reason, I couldn't imagine him appearing for no reason at all but to speak to me, I was not that important, to have the attention of a god, I wasn't sure I was worthy, or that I even wanted to be worthy enough to have the attention of a god. To attract the attention of something so powerful is dangerous, to make a mistake in front of them could turn deadly.

"Is it not you that requires something from me? Did you not just think now of how great it would be to move in shadows? To bend them to your will? To use them against those who wish you ill?" I hastily bow to him, kneeling with my face against the ground, I had thought those thoughts foolishly, listlessly, I did not deserve such a gift, I wasn't even sure I truly wanted it.

"That was thought in a moment of sadness, Numa. Please do not take offense. I do not ask for anything from you." If he thought I was trying to demand this gift from him, things could go wrong for me quickly.

"Of course, you ask nothing of me, you do not have the power to ask anything of me, but I have the power to gift it to you, if you want such a gift?" He moves forward, each step making the ground tremble softly, his eyes a blazing red in the dimness. He circles me, seeming to look me over slowly as if evaluating whether I was truly worried of such a gift.

"I dare not accept something so precious, Numa, I am not worthy." He chuckles and it is a cold sound, not one full of happiness but rather disbelief, as if he knew my words weren't true in some aspect.

"You are worthy, you are the daughter of Kiara, your mother's line has served me fore generations, the mere fact that you dare not accept it, that you do not see yourself worthy, makes you all the more worthy in my eyes." He stops moving and I glance up at him, wondering why he suddenly stopped and find him staring at Talon. "This one here, has the blood of my children, it's weak, but it is there. You've treated him with respect, freed him from slavery, earned his loyalty, you are righteous and just, you do not seek power and yet power comes to you, you do not seek to actively control the people under your rule, yet you know that if you gave up your throne any who replace you will. You are bound by your father's bloodline just as you are bound in service to me by your mother's. I will grant you this gift, the power to move through shadows, but it will come at a cost, and I am not sure if you are truly willing to pay it, but the price must be paid none the less." I watch in horror as he slowly raises a paw, ready to strike down Talon where he stands. "A sacrifice must be made, and he is the one I choose."  I lunge forward, moving faster than I thought I could to shield Talon from the blow. But it doesn't arrive, I open my eyes and see Numa has frozen his paw mere millimeters from my chest. "You are not the sacrifice I've chosen, daughter of Kiara." The sky above us rumbles, flashes of red lightning light up the darkness around us, giving everything a red tint, making everything seem all the more tense, all the more dangerous.

"No! Please take my life over his. I do not want this gift if it means he has to die!" Numa slowly lowers his paw his red eyes dimming as he looks me over, my body placed in front of Talon's so any blow meant for him must hit me first.

"You would defy me for him? You would not allow me to take my desired price?" I straighten my shoulders and look him in the eye even as it physically hurts me to do so, to look into his eyes is to know all the universes secrets, feel all the universes pain.

"I would defy everyone in order to not let an innocent man die for me, to sacrifice his life for me, I am a Sovleig and this is my choice, my death!" Never did I think I would agree with those words, to know that my choice may result in my death, but I would gladly suffer for any of my people, die for any of my people, so that they don't have to.

"You have grown from the girl I first met, you are no longer the daughter of Kiara, but Alessandra, the one who would defy not just me but everyone, all the people and gods, in order to save one measly man, you are indeed worthy of my gift, and yet a price must still be paid!" Faster than I can register he lifts his paw again and swipes out, slicing his claws deeply across my chest. Pain like I've never felt before rushes through me, all the pain I've ever felt before culminated in one moment would not even match a tenth of this, I was burning from the inside out, shadows were invading my veins, infecting me, changing me. "Know that I had wished to spare you from this pain, but you refused to let me, know that this will not kill you, but you will wish it did. To receive a gift from a god is not an easy thing to bear, you may break from it, while you may not die, your mind may not be able to handle the strain, to receive power from me you must be enveloped in shadows and survive. I hope you do, Alessandra, you could be of great use to me."

I could hear his words, but I could not respond, I could only scream, I had borne pain before and not made a sound, but this was everlasting, eternal, as soon as I got the strength to overcome it, the pain came in another wave, one worse than the last, many people will till you that fire burns, but coldness is the true inferno. It creeps in and burns you with a touch, it doesn't burn away the flesh but continues to ravage it.

I could feel it from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, every nerve was racked with pain, incarnated as something new took its place. "Your majesty! What is wrong! Why are you screaming!" I could feel hands on me, searching for wounds, for something to tell them why I was in pain, they would find nothing, because it was my mind, my soul that was being ravaged, Numa had given me power, but that power came at a price, and I wasn't sure if I could survive paying it. "My Queen! Please! Tell us what is wrong! How can we help!"

Talon's voice pierced through the fog only barely, he wanted me to answer him but there was no way I could the pain was too overwhelming, it ravaged through every thought, every emotion, until there was nothing left but pain, endless pain, and torment. Though his voice gave me comfort, I was suffering this so that he didn't have to die, so that he could live even if this might break me in the end.