The Ember of Life

Chapter 15

No. NO. Dertharion stumbled backwards. NO!

The Black's claws latched upon the Poisonhide's shoulders before he could get away. "You have our Ember! And there's no way Dertharion would give it up without a fight. You are he!" He glared at the frozen Green for a long moment, his anger seeming to ebb slightly. "But how...?" Dertharion held perfectly still, hoping his disguise would hold up. Maybe he should come clean. Admit his guilt to Ebony and plead for mercy. But the anger in every tensed muscle of the Black's body sealed his decision. No, Ebony would not show him mercy again. Not after he had shown himself to be so undeserving of it. If there was any chance of remaining hidden, and squirming his way out of this, he would take it.

The leader of the Charred continued to stare at the Green, his piercing gaze cutting into Dertharion's every scale. Then his eyes widened, and he ripped the necklace off the Poisonhide's head in one swift swipe. Immediately, the red scales covering Dertharion's brilliant green ones shimmered away.

"Of course," the Black said, his voice shaking with rage, but still whisper-quiet. "An ancient artifact imbued with the magic that filled the world at creation. I should have known. I was a fool. A trusting fool." He brought his face right up to the Green's. "Right, Dertharion?"

"I-" the Poisonhide began, but Ebony grabbed his throat, roaring. "You ruined my life! You made my own clan exile me because of YOUR treachery!! You wretch!!! You thief!!!"

The leader of the Charred threw Dertharion to the ground, his claws digging into the Green's neck.

I'm doomed, the Poisonhide thought resignedly. He's too angry. He won't listen to me.

"I sacrificed so much for that life, that clan, and you- you took it all away! You betrayed us, for what? Money?? Power?? Were you going to give it to Saliss??" Ebony lowered his head, his jaws reaching for the Green's unprotected throat skin.

"I was," Dertharion croaked through the constricting grip. "I....I'm sorry."

Ebony drew his head back, shutting his mouth. He looked down at Dertharion, and for a moment the Green thought he saw something flicker in the depths of the Black's eyes. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Ebony. I betrayed you all. I wanted wealth. I wanted power," the Poisonhide gasped out. "I'm...sorry."

Warm blood trickled down his neck as Ebony's claws shifted, releasing him. The Black turned his back on the Poisonhide, shrugging his shoulders in a swift, violent motion.

"It wasn't just the Ember that you were going to give to Saliss, was it? You wanted to bring me in too," the leader of the Charred said quietly. He stared off into the plains.

Dertharion swallowed, sitting up. He brushed the blood from his neck and looked at his stained claws with a shiver. "That...that was the plan."

"So what are you going to do now?" Ebony whipped his head around, his voice vaguely menacing.

"I...don't know," the Green mumbled. He wondered if the Burnedhide was still going to kill him, and his heart felt like a lump of cold stone. Unmoving. Hopeless.

A wash of cold air swept over them both, and Zendrayus fell to the ground with a great flapping of his tattered wings. "What you are going to do is listen to me. Both of you."

......................................................

Ebony looked coldly at the Plaguehide. So Dertharion's conspirator was arriving as well. He showed no shock at "Jelvazin" suddenly growing green scales, so he must have known. The former leader of the Charred ground his teeth together in an attempt to control his fury.