THE DEAD QUEEN
Property of:
Rapid Fire Enterprises
Created By:
David Tyrel Little
Chapter 12: Ascent
The mountains rose like silent sentinels before her, their jagged peaks disappearing into the mist. The air grew colder as Enixia climbed, but she didn't feel it. Her skin, unnaturally pale and untouched by the elements, was a stark reminder of what she had become. Each step over the uneven ground echoed with the sound of her makeshift armor and the faint pulse of her altered veins.
The landscape around her was desolate. Gnarled trees with skeletal branches dotted the rocky terrain, their twisted forms bowing to the howling winds. Loose stones shifted beneath her boots, and every now and then, the cry of some distant predator broke the oppressive silence. But Enixia pressed on, her thoughts a storm as chaotic as the terrain.
The Guilt Within and the hunger for power.
She paused by a shallow stream, crouching to inspect the water. Its surface was clear, but her reflection was anything but. The black veins branching from her eyes, the eerie luminescence of her skin—she barely recognized herself. The face staring back at her was both her own and a stranger's.
Her hands trembled as she touched her reflection. Memories of the bandits she had slaughtered surged forward—their screams, the sight of their lifeless bodys. The loss of her friend Hennar and his empty eyes after she had taken his will. She hadn't wanted to do it, hadn't understood what was happening, but that didn't matter. Their lives were gone, and the blood was on her hands.
What am I? she thought, her chest tightening.
The power she had discovered wasn't just frightening; SHe started to see it as intoxicating. The ease with which she had controlled others, bent their bodies and minds to her will—it lingered like a shadow at the edge of her thoughts. Part of her recoiled at the memory of it, at the loss of autonomy she had inflicted on others. But another part... another part reveled in the sheer strength of it.
"I didn't ask for this!" she yelled to the reflection. "I didn't want any of this!"
The water rippled as a gust of wind passed, distorting her reflection into something monstrous. She stood quickly, shaking her head and continuing her climb.
As she ascended, the air grew thinner, and the terrain became more treacherous. Sharp rocks tore at her boots, and narrow ledges forced her to move with care. The climb was grueling, but it gave her focus—a welcome distraction from the storm inside her.
Yet the power inside her refused to be ignored.
It was there, humming faintly beneath her skin, pulsing with every heartbeat. She could feel it in her fingertips, in the way the air seemed to still when she concentrated. She had begun to notice things—subtle movements in the trees, the faint sounds of creatures hiding nearby. It was as though the power attuned her to the world around her, amplifying her senses.
But it wasn't just awareness. There was hunger in the power, a silent urging that whispered to her. It wanted to grow, to be used, to consume. It was like a fire, crackling and waiting for fuel.
At one point, she stumbled upon a wolf—a lone creature, thin and ragged, its ribs visible through its matted fur. It growled low, its yellow eyes locking with hers.
Lets test this, she thought. Instinctively, she raised a hand, lunged towards the wolf in lightning speed, almost as though she warped. She lightly touched the wolf on his neck, the power stirring within her. The wolf froze, its body stiffening, and for a moment, she saw through its eyes—saw herself standing there, pale and otherworldly, a figure of terror.
She pulled back quickly, severed the connection , and the wolfs lifeless body fell limp to the ground.
Her knees buckled, and she sank to the ground, her breathing ragged. The taste of the wolf's mind lingered in her own—its fear, its primal instincts. She clutched her head, fighting back tears.
"I don't want this!" she said aloud, her voice cracking. But the power didn't care. It was hers now, and there was no escaping it.
By the time she reached a plateau high above the treeline, the sun was setting. The sky burned with shades of red and gold, and the air was silent save for the faint rustle of wind through the rocks. Enixia sat against a boulder, her body weary but unbroken.
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She gazed out at the horizon, her eyes drifting to the distant clouds where the Temeri city floated. Its spires were faintly visible, glowing like a beacon against the darkening sky. Her thoughts turned to her father, to the cold detachment in his voice as he had sent her to her supposed death.
He made me this way, she thought, anger simmering beneath her exhaustion. He made me a monster and then threw me away like I was nothing.
Her hands curled into fists. Whatever she was now, whatever curse or power she carried, it wasn't hers by choice. But she would make it hers. She would master it, bend it to her will. And when she returned to the city, she would make him face what he had created.
Her gaze shifted to the peaks ahead, where the first hints of snow dusted the rocks. Somewhere beyond those ridges, the dragons roamed. She had read stories of them as a child—creatures of fire and fury, untamed and unmatched. They were the key to reaching the city. If she could find one, ride it...
No, not ride it. Command it.
The thought sent a shiver through her, but she didn't push it away. She rose to her feet, the glow of her veins faintly illuminating the ground beneath her. The climb ahead would be harder, colder, more dangerous than anything she had faced so far. But she didn't falter.
"I'll survive this," she said to the empty air, her voice steady. "I'll make it back. And I'll make him pay for what he's done."
As the last light of day faded, Enixia began her ascent into the heart of the mountains, the whispers of her power growing louder with every step.
Chapter 13: The God of Dragons [https://img.wattpad.com/2dcc3e7bbe99ee895d378c9511cf8ad30f9a1c10/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f55382d585f536e7561624d505f773d3d2d313530343338363431392e313831333462303361663764616162393233343530313337383938312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Chapter 13: The God of Dragons
The path had been long and treacherous, but at last, Enixia reached the place she had been searching for. Two colossal stone pillars, carved into the likeness of dragons, loomed over the narrow pass. Their eyes were sharp and regal, their claws poised as if ready to strike. The pillars faced each other, forming an imposing gateway into the heart of the mountain. The air felt heavy here, crackling with an energy that made the hairs on the back of Enixia's neck stand on end.
She paused, her glowing veins pulsing faintly beneath her skin. This place was ancient, sacred—she could feel it in her bones. Her anger simmered just beneath the surface, kept in check only by the promise of what lay ahead. Beyond this gateway, she would find the dragons. And one of them would take her to the sky.
Steeling herself, she stepped forward.
The air grew colder with each step, the oppressive energy thickening. Shadows lengthened unnaturally, and the faint sound of wind through the rocks began to twist into something else—a low, rumbling growl. Enixia's instincts screamed at her to stop, but she pressed on, her jaw clenched.
Then the growl became a voice.
"Another of your kind dares trespass here."
The voice was deep, ancient, and powerful. It reverberated through the mountain, shaking the ground beneath her feet. Enixia froze, her eyes darting around, searching for the source. The shadows shifted, coalescing into a massive, serpentine form that stretched upward, higher and higher, until it seemed to touch the heavens.
Zalandre.
The god of dragons was beyond anything Enixia had imagined. The Temeri knew of his existence, from experiments with dragons long ago which brought down the dragon gods fury on the people. His body coiled around the mountain, his scales shimmering with the colors of molten gold and burning crimson. His eyes glowed like twin suns, piercing and unforgiving. His wings, massive and translucent, spread across the sky like storm clouds. When he spoke, his voice was both a roar and a whisper, filling the air with power.
"You are Temeri," Zalandre said, his eyes narrowing as they fixed on her. "The race of thieves and butchers."
Enixia straightened, swallowing the fear that clawed at her throat. "I'm not here to fight," she said, her voice steady despite the god's overwhelming presence. "I need your help."
Zalandre laughed, a sound like thunder rolling across the land. "Help? From me? After what your kind has done?"
She took a step forward, her fists clenched. "That wasn't me. Whatever the Temeri did, I had no part in it."
His glowing eyes flared, and the ground shook beneath her. "You carry their blood. Their arrogance. Their cruelty."
Enixia's patience snapped. "I'm not like them!" she shouted. "I was betrayed by my own people. I'm trying to get back to the city so I can make them pay for what they did to me."
Zalandre tilted his massive head, his eyes narrowing further. "And what would you do, little Temeri? Bend another to your will? Steal what is not yours? Your kind have done enough harm. Long ago, your people took dragons, my kin, and twisted them into abominations."
She flinched at the venom in his voice, but he continued.
"The Draga—Unnatural, neither dragon nor Temeri, there blood woven together—were born of your kind's arrogance. I took them in, gave them a place among us, but I swore then that no dragon would ever fall to your kind again."
"I don't want to hurt anyone," Enixia said, though even she wasn't sure if it was entirely true. "I just need a way to the city. I need to fly."
"You will find no aid here," Zalandre rumbled. "Leave, and consider yourself fortunate I do not strike you down for your insolence."
Her anger flared, and she clenched her fists. "If you won't help me, I'll do it myself."
Zalandre's eyes glowed brighter, his massive body coiling tighter around the mountain. "What do you think you can take, child of thieves?"
She ignored him, her gaze locking onto a smaller dragon perched nearby. Its scales glistened like silver, its eyes intelligent but wary. She lunged towards the little dragon, feeling the familiar hum in her veins. If she could control this dragon, she could escape. She could reach the city.
The moment her fingers almost brushed against its scales, the dragon froze, fear in its eyes, un able to evade.
"ENOUGH!"
Zalandre's roar made Enixia stumble back. The gold and crimson dragon, retreating with a frightened screech. She turned, just in time to see Zalandre's massive mouth opening, flames flickering in his throat.
"You dare touch one of my kin?" he bellowed. "You will pay with your life!"
A beam of searing red energy erupted from his mouth, larger than anything Enixia could have imagined. It consumed her entirely, the heat and force obliterating her body into nothing but scattered fragments. The last thing she felt was the overwhelming power, tearing her apart piece by piece.
Miles away, in the shadow of the mountains, a faint bubbling sound echoed through the air. The ground shifted as a small, charred fragment—a piece of Enixia's arm—twitched. A white mass with black veins spread across the ground like creeping vines, and the fragment began to swell and shift.
Piece by piece, her body reformed, bubbling and stretching as pale skin and black veins stitched themselves back together. Her torn broken armor in patches, and finally, her eyes opened, glowing faintly in the dim light.
She collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. Her hands trembled as she touched her face, her body, confirming she was whole again. But the anger in her chest burned brighter than ever."Zalandre," she hissed, her voice low and venomous. She clenched her fists, her veins pulsing with dark energy. "You'll regret that."
But for now, she rested. Her body still felt weak from the destruction, and her thoughts churned with rage and frustration. The god of dragons had cast her aside like she was nothing. But she was far from finished.
She would find another way.
image [https://img.wattpad.com/65fcb9715470327dae3c011fae00cb133670e389/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f3256343948413852364551756f673d3d2d313530343338363431392e313831333462326263336137306164633139383830393731363035342e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]