Eternity of Pain (FINISHED)

Chapter 6: Statue's Vigil

A dragon stood, tall and regal with sharp blue scales and dark purple wings. He narrowed his eyes at the opposing snake.

The challengers were just a pair of tiny dragonets, with brilliant orange scales and cyan dots. Their feathers hadn't grown to their max size yet. The turquoise splatters on her body were glowing with a brilliant light. The tail barb was also a rattler, useless against the dragon that stood before him. Her tiny claws and tiny arms were perfect in every way.

"My dragonets," Chronos nudged the tiny worm. The dragonet pushed him back, and even though it was a small one, Chronos shuddered from his head to his tail.

This is it. The new Aurae.

Chronos picked up the miniscule drake and carried him to the Altar of Luxnar. He knew it. This will be the new Aurae.

"I name you River and Wind, after your poison. You shall be the new Aurai to protect time." Chronos hesitated.

Is this really the right thing to do?

Chronos pushed the thought away. Of course it is.

What he didn't expect was the rank chosen for the two dragonets. Normally it would be a Divine. But. . .the cyan energy flowed from the altar to the new Aurae. It was the energy, energy that was only thought that had existed in legends, energy that was only concealed behind the gate of history.

Suddenly his claws froze. He can't move them. He stared in horror as stone crackled through his scales up to his legs.

"River! Wind!" Chronos scanned his surroundings until he spotted the small dragonets. River and Wind were staring at the runes of time.

They were breaking apart.

"Get out of here!" His body froze up to his back legs now. "Go"!

The two dragonets stared into his eyes one last time, filled with eternal sadness. . . then flew away.

Chronos tried to rear up, but just as he succeeded, the world closed in on him. He opened his jaws for one last painful roar. . . but it was too late. Shadows circled around . . . and Chronos fell through the world. . .

He spared himself one last thought.

They will be safe. . . .

JaggedNight was thrown out of the dream. He was shaking with fear, fear that he had never felt. He looked up at the statue above him. The statue that the dragonets have looked up to. He shivered as he remembered his dream.

The dragon was reared up, with jaws open in a desperate scream.

No. No. This can't be real.

JaggedNight stood up. His legs were shaking so much that he thought that he would collapse every moment. He glanced at the statue again.

There was an altar here somewhere. Luxnar, if I remember correctly. If it was here. . . . then it should be right where the southern ledge is.

JaggedNight flicked his tail as he flew over to the cliff. When he arrived, as always, there was nothing. Just bare rock.

It should be here somewhere, JaggedNight thought frustratingly. Wait. . .

There's always been a cave under the cliff. JaggedNight and the other dragonets had been there before. At that time, he didn't pay particular attention to the symbols on the floor, but now. . .

JaggedNight floated down to the cave. His claws clattered on the cave floor. It seemed to just be rock with a raised hump in the middle, but when JaggedNight looked closer. . . oh moons. The shattered rings. The snake that bit its own tail. The gears. The faint but real cyan glow.

JaggedNight took a deep breath. This is real. This is real. He took a step, and another, and another. When he reached the place where the altar is supposed to be, JaggedNight couldn't believe what he saw. There was a glowing orb of energy, frozen with the power of prophecy, floating in the altar.

JaggedNight carefully held the sphere in his claws, and stepped lightly away from the shadowy altar. He felt powerful. He felt that he could do anything. He knew that he could do anything.

And no one's going to stop me now.