Dragon Falls (Indigo Apocalypse Book III)

Chapter Thirty: Reaching The Climax Of Penance

THIRD PERSON:
    She stood, her wings folded in, her turquoise eyes staring out over the barren landscape. She'd been sttanding vigil for a while now. And, she could stand vigil for another long while. There was no real way to tell time, not now the sun was gone, not now the sun has been gone for who knew how many weeks, months. It felt like decades since she'd seen the sun. Felt like decades since she'd felt the sun's kiss on her skin. Since she'd felt it as she strolled through the halls of the castle. Since she'd basked in it's incandescent glow. Now, as she stood vigil, she realized that she never truly appreciated the sunlight. Never truly thought of it as a necessity that could be taken away. She never thought of it as more than just a part of nature. Decadent , absolutely ineluctably decadent. She'd never truly appreciated the sun, not until it was stolen. Strange how that works. You don't truly appreciate something until it's taken from you, then you realize the imperative, or, essential, no, the down right necessity of it. The sun wasn't just heat, or light, it was what provided oxygen to plants, on here and the huma world. It was what gave warmth to all inland oceans and rivers, to the great oceans beyond the indigo lands. It was what made days verses nightS. The sun was powerful, and gave life. And, if it weren't for her and Dargonue, it would still be here. If she hadn't been so greedy, so power hungry, so desperate to turn her kingdom into an empire, she just might have foreseen all of this. She wouldn't have created Huntoruukos, wouldn't have created Sarahynyquae, wouldn't have banished her own offspring Zavala and leave her to the elements of the world outside. Like stealing breath from someone's lungs, like choking the world, the Dark Queen stole the breath from all living things. Like stealing water from the Snow Kingdom, like drowning the deserts, like drying out the wetlands, the Dark Queen stole the necessity fo life, stole the breath of life.
    There were a lot of things she needed to atone for, to repent, a lot of retribution that was coming her way. She knew she'd have too pay, knew, and fear licked at the bottom of her spine, but she also knew that when she died, she'd havve atoned for everything. Oh yes, Kneecora was well aware she was going to die. Knew, when the Dark Queen rose once more, that her time was coming soon. She'd thought it would've been Arachne who killed her, who, slaughtered, her. Kneecora thought the Dark Queen would've killed her sooner. Once Kneecora started betraying her, she figured she would die. But Arachne hadn't. She hadn't killed her, hadn't made an example of her. Yet she'd plotted Dargonue's own death. Plotted Khione's and Kimopoleia's, had ensured they died. Even her once faithful servant Amanda, she'd made sure she was killed. Had the Dark Queen meant for Kneecora to die? Had she meant for Huntor to kill her, or his mate Sydney? Had she meant for Kitana to kill her and destroy her spirit? There were still unanswered questions, yet Kneecora figured she wouldn't get any answers. Shifting slightly on her feet, she continued to think. Arachne had arose, she'd risen again, and in doing so, used Kneecora's creation and Dargonue's to do it. Arachne had done it to achieve her fullest potential. Done it, to become as puissant as possible. And she had. She had become the most powerful indigo in the worlds. Had become the creature she was once before. Yet in doing that, had allowed the recreation of the Ilio Drakous. The sun dragons, not one, but two sun dragons. The only thing capacious enough to stop her. In her rise, she'd birthed the sun dragons. Lighting the northern sky had to only be the start. Would they light the southern skies too? Or just return the sun to it's rightful glory. Would they rule the sun, while the Dark Queen ruled the darkness? Could they even kill Arachne? She was the embodiment of darkness. Not just venom and malice, agony and terror, panic and fear, pain and hatred. But she, was, darkness. The embodiment of it.
    Could they kill her? Arachne had killed them, killed them to empower her. And still, had recreated the Ilio Drakous. Had recreated the sun dragons. If they killed her, would they recreate something even more powerful? Something they couldn't defeat, something they couldn't kill? If they destroyed her, would she return as a being akin to the Higher Beings? Was that what Arachne was anticipating? Did she anticipate they'd kill her, and, in doing so, she'd rise once more, into a creature of such puissant power that she'd truly be akin to the Higher Beings? There would be no telling how powerful she'd become. No telling the kind of havoc she would unleash upon both human and indigo worlds. No telling what kind of damage she'd do. Like tendrils of mold growing hungrily around it's prey. Like a creature of the undead, to rise again and again. Would they constantly destroy her, was that their fate? To destroy her day after day, night after night? Eternally keeping her at bey? But as Kneecora thought, she remembered. The Dark Queen had wanted two forms, one male, one female, so she could walk in the human world completely unnoticed. So she could walk among humans. She had a male body, but a female body, the female body she wanted, Kneecora remembered the terrified girl, the girl who was a twin of Arachne's of face and body, the girl who was Sydney's direct sibling. Kneecora remembered what Arachne was before she turned herself into the spider queen, before she created the Ragni Di Morte. Before she became venom and malice. She remembered that she was the dracon of darkness, the embodiment of darkness. Just as the Molten Lord was the embodiment of fire and light, and Kneecora was the embodiment of Snow and wind. Arachne was darkness. Was that what Huntor was planning all along? Did he intend on giving the new Arachne the choice of recreating herself? Could, he do that? Could he turn her bak into her rightful glory? Would he have her embody Darkness, be the earthen dracon as he and his mate became the sun dragons? As they reached their full potential to truly destroy the Dark Queen, would they recreate Arachne, their Arachne, into the Black Demon, into the dracon of darkness. If they did, then indeed, indeed they'd be able to destroy Arachne once and for all. Then indeed, they'd truly be able to kill her. Then indeed, she wouldn't be able to return as something even more puissant. If that was their plan, then truly, truly, she would die, and their Arachne would become the embodiment of darkness, without venom and malice. Then the world, worlds, would be set to rights.
Kneecora shifted her wings slightly as that notion came into play for her. As she thought of just what her IndoDragon would do, would know to do in order to give their Arachne the chance she deserved. A chance to be something of her very own. Kneecora froze in her tracks though, froze, because she knew, she just knew what he'd have to do. There was no actual way, no real way, for Huntoruukos, Huntor, to be able to bring back the sun, and give Arachne her true body, unless, unless. She shook her head. She knew her creation, her offspring was clever, dangerous, powerful. But he, even he, even he couldn't control or possess the sun dragon's crown and survive. It would be a death sentence for him. Hence why even she didn't know where it lay to rest. Hence why even the Molten Lord had no idea. When the first Ilio Drakous, hid himself, without giving them a clue as to where itt could lay. His parting words, "Only I can know where to find it." That was all she knew, all the Molten Lord knew. Kneecora ran a finger over her armored shoulder, thinking hard. Trying to figure out how her son and his mate could control an item of such power and incandescence, of such ferocity. An item that held such incandescence within it. Perhaps because there were two dragons they'd be able to share the power between them. Kneecora shook her head, shook it, as an unfamiliar emotion rose from deep within herself, the feeling, of fear, fear for something, someone she never took the time to get to know. For someone, whom, in her greed and thirst for power, she trapped in a human body and set on Earth to play in roles Dargonue set. Someone whom she let herself forget about, and then chose to remember to fit the position of her weapon. A thing she wanted, and, only she'd, control. No, no no she'd never be able to truly repent, not from what she's done, not from any of it. But she knew that she'd help win this war she helped start. Knew that she'd help her creation, her son, win and bring back light to the dark. Kneecora ran a finger over the flat of the blade strapped to her back, wondering if she should gift him with the blade. Should she? Was there a reason for that? What if he didn't accept it? It wasn't like he had a shortage of weapons on him, what with the two long fans he bore, the sword, the fin daggers that sprang from his forearms, and those talons. Not to mention his natural power over water, his hydro power which set him apart from any indigo or dracon. And then his power with telekinesis, with his echo location, a rarity in most indigo. Yet he'd taught everyone he came int contact with. Did he share his mate's power? Kneecora didn't know if he did. If they shared powers, if they truly shared powers, it would make them near to unstoppable as IndoDragons. If he could control both the ground, and water, if she could control both the water and the ground, then nothing could stand in there way. Would they be able to destroy the Dark Queen as IndoDragons? But Kneecora baished the thought almost instantly. Even if they could destroy her. Even if they slaughtered her, her spirit would still exist, still be here, and his death girl Kitana may not have the strength to destroy her essence once and for all. Which still left the sun to never rise again. In essence, they truly had no choice but to go in search of the crown. No true choice, no options left. Kneecora sighed, wishing for the first time, wishing, wishing she'd taken better care of Huntor, of Veevuqui, of Vileneequi, of Daqutos, of all her children, rather than treat them as pawns to be royal. She shook her head. The past was the past, and all of them, all of her children, Huntor included, would be furious with her for contemplating those thoughts, for considering useless ideals that were irrelevant, frivolous. She had to stay with the here and now, still stay focused on her tasks as the former queen. As a true fighter. She opened her wings, then, sniffed the air. She had company alright. "Vello," she purred. "Seeka." The two Molten dracons appeared from the shadows, their eyes glowing in the semi darkness as they neared her.
"Everytthing seems to be quiet." Said Seeka as she neared Kneecora's side. Vello flanked her other side, and they watched the dark sky. "It's the calm before the storm." Said Kneecora. "So Vello thinks." Said Seeka, gesturing to her brother. He rolled his eyes as he lashed his tail behind him, a simple translation. "Careful girl, or I'll beat you." Such simple camaraderie. A thing, a thing she never thought of for her offspring. She saw that as weak, as weak and frivolous. Something that could be used against them, or her, not a very useful trait. Yet, here they stood, knowing that they all were in a war, all going to possibly die, and yet, they were joking around. Vello brought his tail back in and said, "I feel as we will be nearing the battlefield soon." "Do you?" Asked Kneecora. Vello nodded solemnly. Kneecora caught another sent on the breeze and Decre landed beside them. He folded his wings in neatly and said, "From the south, that's where we fight." Kneecora nodded. "I believe so." Seeka sighed dramatically. "And watch, we won't get there until like, well." She paused as she thought about it. "Well, we can't count days anymore so I'm going to give a guess of a few weeks." Vello snorted. "Wow sister, just wow." "I feel like there was no proper capital in there for my title." Vello shrugged elegantly. "No." Seeka snorted again. Then Kneecora realized it. "Theia—"Is with Huntor and Sydney." Kneecora's eyes widened. "They, she—"That way they can be at their strongest for when they face her. And destroy her." Seeka's voice held no bite, no ire what so ever. Nothing but the contempt for the Dark Queen. Nothing toward Kneecora at all. Kneecora felt something warm in her chest, she didn't know what it was, but it warmed never the less. Like a light in the darkest of caves, like a flame in the coldest harshest winter, Kneecora felt that warmth light her, and fill her body.