The Chase : Volume One

Tae'Sora Part Two

After Delius Eli lectured him on palace politics, Soteramose could not laugh with the others at the pain of one agon.   One thing had stuck with him from that morning, that she was not old enough to be aware much less apart of the treachery her father committed. A new concept began to seed in his head. Perhaps her father's traitorous acts were not all as they seemed, or rather there was more to them than he was privy to know. As the night wore on he had found the young Erida less and less attractive a personality as her mother doted on her for accomplishments that were frail to say the least. Her laugh was annoying and while she was a beauty - her confidence began to seem more and more like conceit as the night wore on. He found some reason to recuse himself though, he was certain he wouldn't remember what it was he had given as excuse. He found himself walking out of the Tae'Sora Zai workers were still cleaning up the Rahem from the floor.

"What am I doing?" he pondered as he walked along toward the courtyard. Just as a roar of applause marking the probably reveal of Erida's full form came humming from the coliseum, a splash came from the fountain. An immense wave of talent energy like nothing he had ever felt came rushing toward him, so thick it almost seemed tangible as if a current in the air. He ran toward the fountain prepared to fend off some strange attacker but what he saw was the last thing he would ever have imagined.

The dark voluptuous silhouette of an agon emerged from the fountain ahead. As she threw her head up her locks swung back and water flung behind. Slowly the form began to change into that of dragon. He ducked behind a pillar as the energy continued to pulsate and almost lure him in. As he squinted his eyes and saw black smoke around her and he to look for the source. Is there a fire?.. No she was  forming from the shadow. With deep ebony fur covering the back and shining scales along her underside, a sleek body with the frame of a feline predator, each sinewy movement exuding power and control. From her lithe frame emerged a foreboding set of bat-like wings, their leathery membranes stretched taut, ready to carry her through the night sky with effortless agility. Sharp fangs gleaming in the dim light of the courtyard and the moon, and piercing eyes glowing with a somber intensity, her mane of dreadlocks framing her formidable maw and flowing light tendrils of midnight smoke only adding to her enigmatic allure. This being was adorned with the fearsome countenance of a lion more than a dragon. As the agon took her Djartte, Soter's jaw nearly dropped. How was this a dragon!?

 The dreadlocks remained as the black horns and black wings emerged. As the dragon grew in size large paws and a double tail took shape. The claws were retracted like a cat's, yet it seemed to have extra digits, and while the belly was covered in dark metallic scales the rest of the dragon was head to tail covered in black feathery fur. The dragon's head was more like that of panther with large sabors for teeth. The wings while underneath were  similar to bat, they too were covered in in tiny black feathers. The locks remained and seemed to float of their own volition like extra tails. 

This... Thing - was beautiful, and the power that it radiated was more immense than any other dragon in this palace, but by no means was this like any dragon he had ever seen.

"Monstress" he whispered allowed. At this, the creature's head whipped in his direction, the two tails with sharp white daggers on their ends whipped around viciously before suddenly it turned to smoke and shot to the sky. He stepped from behind the pillar to watch the creature flirt with clouds going between smoke and dragon like a dance. It certainly was beautiful, and Mars found himself watching in a daze. 

"Monstress" he said again as he leaned on the cold column.

The strength of the energy seemed to pressure him into wanting to bow down then and there. The very power of her rahisi seemed to beckon and warn him at the same time. His heart began to beat faster and faster as he watched the unknown female's wings beat against the air and take her higher into the night sky. He was awestruck and his feet seemed to be rooted to the ground. He couldn't take his eyes off of what he was seeing, or his mind away from the might he was feeling. This was no zheragon, it was a beast - a creature that could take him down before he had the time to transform. 

Had he hallucinated? Was it a vision? Why was that shape so unrecognizable to him? He had seen every gyn and shape of zheragon before.... Except... "Fum'Oto..." he wondered aloud. The Amea today was the only Yzhen of their kind in all of Zeneth.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm-" He turned sharply to see where the voice originated. He smiled as he saw his uncle. "I was wondering, have you ever seen a Fum'Oto in full form?"

His Uncle looked shocked at first and then sighed. "I keep forgetting you were just a shapeless gon when Dark Winter happened... The nadiren have been banned from taking form outside of Fumon'Emos. If you haven't been there - it makes sense you haven't seen one. The only ones left that are in the cities are nadiren, except for"

"That Amea and the Asantegon with the elves."

"Did something happen?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Not really. I just thought, it was a shame. I have seen every shape of Djartte in Zhagozie except for that one... The Amea - she wouldn't be old enough for an Ikono yet?" he asked thinking of the smoke dance he had just seen.

"No, not unless she was En'Zhetan."

"The Chosen..."

"For a Fum'Oto of noble blood to be En'Zhetan, that would be a scary thought." Delius put his hand on his shoulder and began to lead him back to the festivities.

"Why would it be scarier than if any other noble was gifted?"

"Aside from getting their Ikono early, En'Zhetan are known for having far more vast and stronger stores of rahisi, and abilities outside the normal. Sometimes even abilities that are unique to them. Fum'oto, were known as the shadow clan, but they were rarely involved in battles unless directly commanded by the Center. They were known as the shadow clan not just because of their ikono -but because their power cast a shadow over the rest of us, like standing next to a mountain and being under it's shadow. They seemed to have a special connection to rahisi itself. Many hated and feared them long before the Dark Winter. It is also why in history - they stayed neutral throughout the vast majority of the wars. They were even scorned for not taking more part in the early wars with the humans... But there may not be humans now, if they had... You have never asked about this stuff before? You sure nothing happened?" Delius turned to face him, stopping for a moment. "They are about to make the formal announcement." he motioned to the building.

"No, nothing... I just looked up into the sky, and thought... it is amazing how little of the world I know, even at this age." He looked back at the sky pass the pillars and beyond the courtyard. For a second he thought he saw a shadow pass over some stars, faster than an arrow. He shook his head again. If it wasn't who he assumed, he didn't want to get any nadiren in trouble for flying against the ban.