Night Fury's Wrath

Chapter 51: Redemption

-Oookay, this chapter is going to be a doozy. Read it very carefully because there are references and foreshadowing and hints everywhere here. Mini-arcs are intertwining a lot in this chapter, and there's a mini-arc of a character that has been subtle for a long time, and only now reveals itself. 

In short, a lot of details are in this chapter, so read it carefully to avoid confusion! It wasn't possible for me to make it simpler this time around, so it's going to be complex. Remember, read carefully!

-NFD

~~~

Eternal Flame this, Eternal Flame that. Ugh...

"Sulking wastes valuable time," Star chided while I lay exhausted in the dry earth. The creepy, dark forest still loomed around us, just as eerily quiet as before. "Focus on the Eternal Flame within and invoke it to help you."

A warm tongue passed between my eyes, coercing them to open and see Nibbler's grey face and red eyes. She didn't move for a few seconds, then gave me a warm nuzzle and crooned softly in my ear. I gratefully leaned into the kind gesture, feeling just a little better with this close contact. I impulsively nuzzled her a little harder and gave the left side of her neck a lick, making her jolt. Before I could second guess myself and let shame well up in me, she surprised me by humming pleasantly, as if such an act was completely normal for us.

I knew instinctively, deep down, that licking Nibbler there was inappropriate for mere friends. It was a minor show of intimacy, one that I had no right to act on without permission, but she accepted it anyway. Perhaps our friendship was more unusual than I thought, and behavior like that was allowed?

I finally noticed Star watching us with a raised brow. Something in her slight smirk and blue eyes made me uncomfortable, so I jerked away from Nibbler, who blinked in confusion for a moment, and sent Star a glare. "What?" I demanded defensively. Star didn't immediately answer, giving Nibbler time to look over her shoulder and realize who was watching. Nibbler quickly flattened her head-plates and shrank in on herself somewhat, avoiding all eye contact. Nibbler's reaction worried me, and I knew that Star caused it, so I scowled at the white dragon. "What?"

"Nothing," Star replied coolly. "Nothing at all." She paused, eyeing us both equally, then continued, "Focus up, Vaskr. You are the conduit in which Nibbler here gets access to the Eternal Flame. The only way to infiltrate and destroy the Scoots is by blending in with them. Focus on the power I told you about and make it alter your physical states."

I grumbled at that and closed my eyes to do as I was told. As described, the unnatural power lingering in my chest swirled slowly around my core. Soulmagic was unnatural in its own right, but this 'Eternal Flame' was another thing entirely. It didn't behave like anything I'd ever seen or felt before. When I touched that power, it almost seemed to twist my entire being into knots. Soulmagic was incredibly potent, typically making it feel like I vibrated when used, which could be uncomfortable sometimes, but the Eternal Flame was painful when I tried to use it.

"The pain means it's fighting you," Star supplied unhelpfully.

"A little more than the obvious would be great," I retorted. If she couldn't be helpful, then she should just shut up. Her offpawed comments weren't helping me get any closer to success.

She sighed gustily. "Explain your process to me."

"I reach out to it like always," I muttered. "But it feels like it's crushing or twisting me whenever I—"

"There's your problem," she interrupted. "You don't touch it with your consciousness as you do with your magic. The Eternal Flame isn't magic or energy, it's a form of corruption."