Curse of the Stars Book 1

Chapter 13

Chapter XIII

Stygian smashed through trees, her rage blinding her from brushing them aside.

Scrolls don't control my destiny! I WILL undo this Curse if it's the last thing I do! The stag said there was a way! She vowed. She hadn't been paying much attention in her rage, but as she continued slithering through the trees she noticed a bright red flame barely keeping up with her.

Calliopel.

Stygian slowed down to allow the little fox to catch up. Just because Turbulence was an idiot didn't mean she wanted to lose Calliopel in her eagerness to get away.

"She's just arrogant." Stygian ranted to the fox as they continued their journey through the snow. "She's just trying to get under my scales any way that she can. She wants something from me. Her mouth is filled with lies. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I prove her wrong. She doesn't know anything about me OR my Mother. My mother would never abandon me. She's not that kind of dragon."

Calliopel said nothing as his fiery red coat wove in and out of dark, feathery trees. He was like a spark of life to a dead forest, a ray of hope to a forgotten land.

I'm so glad I have you at least. Stygian thought with a sigh of relief. For one so quiet you sure do know how to keep good company. She feared for the day where she'd wake up and find the little fox no longer at her side. Stygian shook her head; she wouldn't think about that.

They came to a steep climb that seemed in some way important to Stygian. They crested it until they reached the lip and only then did they dare to look down.

A towering black stone wall surrounded a massive city. The wall was made of solid fullerite, with talc green dragons carved to look as if they were prowling atop the walls. They looked like guardians, hanging over a giant gate that was attached to pulley mechanisms, only able to be opened from the inside. Beneath their paws was the same stone Stygian had seen at the temple. The same turquoise marbled green with feathers of yellow, gold, and other green and cream hues. Mining quarries surrounded the city, as if to hold back the large mountains that surrounded the city, although it was technically built somewhat into the mountains. Large ice-like pinnacles rose from its centre, though large ice stalactites sprouted upwards from the ground like large upside down icicles. They were scattered throughout the city, some carved to become towers overlooking the city. Mountain peaks loomed over the city as if threatening to topple over. It was the largest human settlement that Stygian had ever gazed upon in her life.

Calliopel's back fur bristled slightly.

"I don't like humans either." Stygian admitted when she noticed how intimidated the fox seemed to be. "But how are we going to get around it? The Last Rugged Wilderness lies beyond the city, and even if we did go around the city, it'd take days to climb those mountain peaks. The curse may not give me time!"

Calliopel's ear twitched in response.

The last time I tried to go through a human settlement I got a swarm of arrows shot at me. Stygian recalled distastefully. She continued to wrack her brain for ideas.

What if I use the wall as a sort of road? I could walk around the city atop the wall. If anyone tries to attack me I could leap into the surrounding trees. And I wouldn't have to climb any mountains, I could sneak along the wall at night. Yes that would work. It might be a longer route than simply going straight through the city but it was shorter than climbing mountains and it was less dangerous than entering the city itself.

"Besides, do you have any better ideas?" She asked the fox. It made no reply. "That's what I thought."

Stygian wondered if she could go around the wall on the ground and that way not risk being seen. However she didn't like it when enemies had the chance of being above her. At least if she was on the wall, she could see all who came her way and no one would have a chance of sneaking up on her, even if it did mean she would also be seen.

But I'm a god now. She thought. Those people gave me a beautiful block of solid gold! Would they attack their own god?

Humans were so unpredictable that she didn't know whether they would or not, and she wasn't sure if she even wanted to find out.