The Perils of Light and Darkness

Chapter 4 - The Beginning of the End

**The first named chapter of the story! Such an accomplishment щ(゜ロ゜щ) ! It's actually sad really. I should probably go back and name the rest at some point.**

_______________________

The chilling red light from the moon pours in through the large glass window behind the dark throne, reflecting off of the lustrous black marble floors. From the throne and down the wide steps leading to the throne, a red carpet with golden-colored edges ran across the room to the large throne room doors.

The black pillars near the white walls had symbols and letters of a foreign language chiseled deeply into them. Between each pillar, a creature sits like a statue within its shadows. Though the light from the blood moon was bright and lit up the room, the shadows within the room were still significantly dark which prevented any who were in the room to see these creatures or even tell what they are. Their aura or the air around them seemed heavy and intimidating, but there was something in the room that weighed the air down far more than those creatures, and it was coming from where the throne is.

The light casted a shadow over the front of the throne, so whoever or whatever that was sitting on it was not able to be seen. The throne room doors open to reveal a dragon pushing them open as his pure white scales are illuminated by the light, casting a dark shadow behind himself and the doors.

As he walks towards the throne, the eerie silence that fills the room is soon broken as he stops near the stairs leading up to it. "Nific is dead," he says plainly before bowing with both wings outstretched. A slight smirk seems to cross his face before he continues, "His rebellion will soon crumble faster than the gods you destroyed."

Silence follows for a few seconds before he looks up towards the throne, his dark amber irises lighting up in the light, causing them to illuminate in a dark, crimson red color; his black sclera seems to be untouched by the light.

"Good," the entity who was hidden within the shadow of the throne responds, his voice low, silky, and assertive. He had an accident which sounded mostly British. "I take it you used your time wisely before his death to get answers?"

"Indeed, I have. He didn't quite tell me everything I was looking for before I gutted him.. but I did manage to get him to spill a bit of information on the whereabouts of the others," the dragon responds, his three green stripes on his neck also being illuminated and reflecting the light as his scales were like little stars dancing elegantly in the night sky with each movement he took.

"Oh?" The entity seemed to have gained a bit more interest; his heavily oppressing aura was unwavering and constant which seemed to make even the dragon a little anxious within his presence. It made him seem like he would flinch at the slightest of sound or movement.

"M- mhm, 2 of them should be hiding within the kingdom to the south. The other 3 are spread out between the kingdoms in the north, east, and west," the dragon explains.

The entity seems to ponder on this information as the same eerie silence fills the room again.

"Are you certain this is not information meant to mislead?"

Tucking his wings in and finally rising from his bowing position, the dragon flicks his tail before speaking, "I am certain. You can get anything out of someone when you slowly dismember both the target and the one closest to him, her, or it, and take the time to do a few other things.."

"Very well. It's about time we killed those rats off once and for all," the entity responds.

"Indeed, how would you like me to exterminate these 'rats'? I'm sure it'd be a long and tedious process to locate exactly where each and one of them are in every kingdom. 'Tis a simple problem..."

"And here's a simple solution: reduce each kingdom to rubble and leave no survivors. 'How,' you may ask? Position high-class assassins near each secret exit outside every kingdom, and have them kill all who exit. If you take half of the army, you can have them help you destroy the kingdoms and all in them; you could also position some of the soldiers outside the kingdoms' walls and gates."

The dragon nods in acknowledgement at this. If he had eyebrows rather than scales, he would probably be raising one in question as to how the entity had came up with this plan on the spot and how he knew that the kingdoms apparently had more than one secret exit.

"How do you know there are more than one secret exit in each kingdom..?" The dragon asks as he side glances towards one of the shadows casted by a pillar. He could clearly sense the creatures near.

"Do not ponder on that trifling matter; it will serve you no use," the entity says before continuing, "Also, the 'solution' or plan I had suggested is an idea only. It may serve as the foundation to a larger and intricate plan, or a stepping stone to a better foundation which will in return provide a better and more desired outcome. You could also scrap it for something else."

The dragon nods yet again before looking away from the shadow and up towards the shadow of the throne, "Alright, shall I be off immediately to see to preparations?"

"You shall," as the entity speaks, the light from the blood moon pouring in through the large window fades into a silver-white color, "Do not disappoint me, Xeloq."