Black and Gold: The Sun

Chapter 7: The Bad Guy

A Few Days Earlier...

Vividean paced her room. She stalked  back and forth, her eyes crackling with electricity and glowing a bright white. No one dared to come near her when she was in this state of mind. Anyone nearby, well. The charred corpses that had been on the ground showed why not to come close, or try to console her. The unlucky few learned their lesson after they were incinerated, their corpses hauled off to be dumped somewhere unknown. Vividean was enraged. Viczeron was gone, along with Nova. Nova, she could live without. All she was to Vividean was an annoying health professional. Viczeron, however, was a key part of keeping her followers loyal. The constant threat of siccing the cockatrice on someone was enough to keep them in line. Fear equals control. Without the source of fear, control would be harder. Vividean would be limited to controlling under her own threats alone.

Her rule was unstable to say the least. She struggled to keep her grasp on her control. Gundark strolled into the room. He glanced at Vividean, eyeing her, boredom evident on his face. 

"Are you going to throw a tantrum all night?" He asked casually, leaning on the door frame.

Vividean shot him a glare. She hissed and continued to pace back and forth, her tail lashing side to side as she walked. 

Gundark watched her and sighed. "I get it really, you're pissed. But you do realize you've killed like three of your followers?"

Vividean continued pacing. "Yes." She snarled out. "I don't care about any of that."

Gundark scoffed. "See that's the problem. You're just a kid, you don't know how to run an army effectively. You are spreading mistrust. Killing them when they didn't do anything is going to make people wonder if you actually are the bad guy. If they were just mind controlled it would be easier, but no. You refuse to do that. Why is that? You could have anyone under your control with the snap of your claws." Gundark said, snapping his claws swiftly afterwards. 

Vividean ran up to him. "Mind control didn't exactly work out in your favor last time, didn't it? You used mind control and failed, simply for the fact that they were useless unless you specifically ordered them to do something." She snarled, standing up on her hind legs to get in Gundarks face.

He rolled his eyes. "You need to work on your intimidation as well. No one is going to fear a toddler that barely reaches eye level." 

She growled lowly. "I could incinerate you right now."

He opened his arms wide. "Go ahead then. Hit me with your best shot, hatchling." He taunted.

He smirked when she did nothing. "Except, you can't kill me. Because I'm the queen in an army of pawns."

Vividean chortled softly. "So... You're a lady?" Her electricity began to die down slowly.

Gundark shook his head vigorously. "You're missing the point. This is all a game of chess, and you need to control all the pieces. Don't you understand? We have the advantage here! But we can't keep it if your pieces turn against you! You are just a king. Killing your own pawns, that's stupid. You have to think this out!"

"I am thinking it out." She said calmly.

"Are you really? What's your plan exactly. Do tell." Gundark said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Uhm..." Vividean said softly. 

"Exactly. You don't have one. Allow me to rectify that. You already have the advantage, a large following. They would be willing to do whatever you say, as long as you don't screw up anymore. Get more. More dragons may be more difficult to control, but more dragons means more power. The more dragons we have on our side, the less they do."

"So. Get more dragons? Then what?" Vividean asked. 

"Then, we wait. We wait for them to get all pumped up about fighting us. We wait and build up our ranks. Make armor, train our people. We wait for them to come to us, hearts full of hope. They won't be able to scrounge up many people at all if we go town to town and get them all first." 

"Yeah." Vividean smiled, her rainbow irises returning, electricity completely gone.

"Then, when they get here, we trample them. Beat them into the dirt. Kill them."

"Kill them?" Vividean asked. "Isn't beating them enough? Wouldn't it be better to assimilate them into our forces to we can use them to keep others in line?"

"No!" Gundark hissed. "You have to kill them or they will come back stronger! The first fight is always the last fight! They learn from fighting you! They learn your moves and figure out how to use them against you!"

Vividean recoiled from him, backing up. "You don't have to yell. Geez."

Gundark scoffed. "You need to know this! You need to get it through your thick skull before you get yourself killed." He snarled.

Vividean rolled her eyes. "Why do you even care? You are only my backup. I am the one in command here, not you!" She roared.

"You are a pestilent little brat that is unfit to rule an army!"

"It's not an army! It's a kingdom!"

"They need to be an army. The others will strike back, your  "kingdom" must be ready for when they do." 

"You are not the boss of me Gundark. All I have to do is say the word and you are out of here!"

"You wouldn't dare. You know as well as I do that without me your entire plan will fall apart. You didn't even have a plan! I made one for you!" Gundark growled, towering over Vividean.

"All of that is besides the point. You need to step down Gundark. You faced Merlack once, you had your chance to rule and failed." Vividean barked. She puffed smoke into his face, turning away triumphantly. 

"You should really leave world domination to the adults, little girl." Gundark growled.

Vividean snarled loudly. She whirled around and lashed his chest with her talons. 3 jagged red lines ripped through his scales. Blood slowly trickled down.

Gundark winced slightly, glaring down at the multicolored wyrvern. 

"My name is Vividean and I am your queen. You shall not refer to me as anything otherwise henceforth Gundark." She ordered sternly. She folded her wings tightly to her side, her tail lashing with anger. 

Gundark glowered at her. His eyes burned like molten lava. His maw curled into an open mouthed snarl, smoke pouring out from all sides. 

"You are not my queen. All you are is a freak of nature that shouldn't even exist." He spat. He turned swiftly, storming out. 

Vividean watched him go, her glare softening. She slammed the door shut, tears forming in her eyes. She roared, anger, sadness, and worry engulfing her like a flame. Her eyes glowed bright white once again, electricity crackling fiercely. Plumes of smoke fell out of her mouth as she roared.

She toppled a few boxes and crates, blowing fire and smoke everywhere. She lashed her tail angrily, snarling loudly. She raked her claws down the wall, leaving large gashes. She stormed out of the room, flying off into the night as rage drove her to destruction.