Siren

Siren - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

From inside the spire the trio had waited for at least half an hour. Outside, the storm grew worse.

Nereus stood at the window, while Octavious and Raven lounged against a plush couch on the right hand side of Nereus' large cherry wood desk. Octavious was close to falling asleep, and kept nodding off abruptly. When his head would sink towards his chest, he would snort and snap up, looking to the window, but seeing nothing. No dragon.

"I say, Raven. When is this blasted thing going to get here?"

"I do not know, sir Octavious." Raven looked to the window, tired of waiting as well.

"Be patient." Lady Moonstone spoke. "She is approaching fast. Clara and I can both sense her."

Suddenly, it became quite dark over the castle. They heard something like... thunder?

The winds howled worse and worse outside and they felt the castle rumble. Shouts and yells floated up the spire, causing Nereus to spin suddenly, bracing his hands on the desk. His teeth bared in a sickly grin, he glared at the two, now sitting alert, on the couch.

"The beast descends!" he said, short of throwing his arm out in an arc as a circus trainer would do when introducing his best act.

The two needed not get up from the couch to watch as Moyra made her descent. Eyes wide, the pair both sat, unable to get up.

"No one ever told us... it would be that... BIG!" Octavious sputtered. Raven nodded his agreement, eyes wide and focused on the large beast outside.

"Would you both have rushed in to slay her, let alone save her, had I told you how enormous she was?" Lady Moonstone chuckled.

When Mallach arose from his fear induced slumber, the first thing he saw was the dragon. The next thing he saw was Clara sitting on the dragon. The snout, to be exact. And it looked as though both had calmed and were having a cheery conversation between old comrades.

"Damn and blast." he murmured, quoting Octavious. "Clara! Are you alright?" he called.

"Yes, my lord, very much so. Lady Moyra and I have come to an agreement that would benefit us both."

The dragoness spewed steam in a snort of agreement.

"You know what you must do, then." Moyra said firmly.

"Yes, my dragoness."

Nuzzling her nose as close as possible to the balcony of the spire, Moyra sat still as Clara hopped off. Mallach pulled her back quickly, and unsheathed his sword.

"Off with you now, beast."

Lady Moyra looked at him with a faint twinkle of amusement in her eye. With a flap of her great wings, she caught the steady breeze of the storm and was lifted off the ground. Fluttering the leathery appendages quickly, she rose to the skies. She let out a great thunder cry, and her back claws scored the earth as she barrelled into the clouds. A shadow caressed the castle, and then she was gone.

After they had proceeded back through the walls of the dank spire, Clara could not help but fume. Nereus had known all along, she figured. He had to have something to do with it all, his slimy disposition...

"Clara? Damn you woman, would you slow down a minute?" Clara stopped and he slammed into her back. She was as rigid as a wooden staff. "What in the name of god is wrong with you? What happened out there?"

"You mean aside from you nearly pissing yourself? Or fainting?"

He spun her around quickly to face him. His eyes narrowed.