Night Fury's Wrath

Chapter 57: Contradictions

-Hello, hello! I've got some good news and bad news. The good news is that I'm finally all moved into my new home. The bad news is that I can't jump back into the weekly updates quite yet. A couple of you already know the details, but my health is declining faster and faster. The doctors are talking about heart surgery before my condition causes any permanent damage.

So, unfortunately, the "update every two weeks" schedule will have to continue for a while longer. Much of my focus will have to be on resolving this condition before anything worse happens. I've lived with it for almost ten years now, but it's reached a point where it will become terminal if not resolved soon. Obviously, I need to live to continue writing this story, so that takes priority.

Thank you for understanding, and enjoy the new chapter!

-NFD

~~~

"I need the Siegebreaker."

I frowned in the eerie light of the glowing stone. "I'm sorry?" Why under her moon would Moon want my past self? That dragon was bent on vengeance and generally horrible to everyone around him. The Siegebreaker was in the past; I couldn't simply go back in time and bring that dragon to the present to help us. I doubted that would help at all, even if I could.

"Not happening," Mom growled. "I worked for moons to help my son return to his true self, failed, then Stormfly worked for moons afterward until she got through to him." Mom bared her teeth in anger. "That title has earned him nothing but pain and regrets. I will never let him fall that low again!"

I stared at Mom with a mixture of gratitude and relief. I knew I could rely on her for anything, and this was only more proof of that fact. There was a reason the others called her my emotional anchor; our bond ran deep, very deep, and we understood each other perfectly. She knew what to keep a secret without being asked, such as when she embraced me and promised that she'd never let me fall back into my Siegebreaker days. She didn't tell Moon about that powerful fear, but I knew she was thinking about it.

"I know it's a touchy subject—"

"Touchy subject?" Mom scoffed. "Oh, it's much more than that, Moon. Let me make this clearer for you." She shifted closer to me, laying a wing protectively over my back. "Under no circumstances will my son ever become the Siegebreaker again. He has suffered enough war; I will not let him get entangled in another one and lose himself again. The Siegebreaker is dead, and he will stay dead."

"I'm not asking to have the full 'Siegebreaker experience' or... whatever," Moon explained hastily, her eyes flicking back and forth between us. "I'm only looking for his ruthlessness and skill. Caligo is an uncaring monster, so I need someone experienced to beat her to a pulp. What better dragon could I ask for than the one which ripped through front lines and demoralized the enemy with just his presence? You have a reputation, Auroon. Everyone fears the Siegebreaker, probably even the Scoots themselves!"

I shifted uneasily. "I don't want to be feared. I just want to be normal." 

Moon's face fell. "Auroon, this world is falling to pieces. There are barely any living dragons left on the surface; the others are hiding in cave systems or the like. The only ones left to fear you belong to the enemy, and we won't fear you."

"Enough," Mom growled. "He clearly doesn't want to do it, and neither do I. Keep pressuring him, and we are going to have a problem."

Moon whined breathily at that. "But the world—"