Metaniono Part IV (my last part) ::Edit::

Metaniono- Part IV

(Again, my apologies to those whose characters I didn?t quite get right. I tried as best I can. :) ) Edit: Changed some parts to be more consistant with the Draxxis character, mainly by changing it to dialogue written by the character himself. :p

Draxxis knew that it was impossible to avoid contact with the naka-duskael and knew that until the Withered Aegis were removed from Istaria for good, sometimes he would have to work with them. Like sometimes he needed to use a scale-forge to make scales. The naka were tools only, and when those tools were no longer needed...
Although a large part of him still craved company, the red dragon was in enough of a confused state, that he felt it might be better to be alone with his thoughts for awhile. First Plink, then Tokoz, then Saphire and Starlight... It was disturbing and unfathomable. Sure there were beings that Draxxis trusted greatly, even a few of the naka-duskael he found he could grudgingly admire... But to stoop to the level of ?needing? someone else? To be as Tokoz and Saphire and actually be happy about being a pack mule for those disgusting naka and their construction houses? That was something that the mighty red dragon could not comprehend on any level.
His wandering took him to one of the few places in Istaria where he felt like he could be alone, or at least, more than likely, free from the naka-duskael. Few of that kind traveled to the Peak of Storms.
He landed near the top, where the ghost of Hethsa the Patient stood. She took no notice of him or at least seemed not to. She just stood there as patient as her name implied, waiting for the next young hatchling ready for flight. Draxxis lay at the ground near her lowering his head to touch the gravelly grey earth beneath him. He was suddenly very tired. Not physically tired, as the great red dragon rarely grew tired that way, but his mind was tired. For some reason he felt as though he?d spent the last few days in battle continuously, ever since Plink?s first challenge. ?You want power, Draxxis?? the voice echoed over and over in his mind.
What could a small dryad such as Plink know about power? Primal, tooth, claw.... these were powers far outside the dryad?s limited understanding. Draxxis wished he?d eaten the dryad then and there. Although Plink would return, being Gifted, maybe his words would at least be silent in the red dragon?s head.
?And what brings Draxxis here?? a familiar voice broke in from above him.
Draxxis rose and turned, keeping his head slightly lowered out of reverence to his guild master, Mordoth. The older black Helian dragon was one of the few of that philosophy that the red dragon could stomach. There was wisdom in those eyes, a deep wisdom that the much younger dragon could little more than envy.
?Glit?sita Kaiserao,? Draxxis responded, his head still slightly lowered. ?I was taking some time to brood alone. At least, I thought I was alone.? Draxxis realized that with where Mordoth had been sitting, his black scales had blended well with the grey stones of the Peak of Storms. He held to that thought, not realizing that it was also the distracted state he was in that prevented from noticing his guild master.
?I?m finished here with what I came for. I just needed to clear my mind of some things.? the older dragon responded. ?I can leave you with your thoughts.? he leaned back and began to spread his wings.
?Wait...? Draxxis called out before he even realized why. The large black dragon stopped quickly and lowered his wings. The two stood for a moment then staring at each other. Draxxis felt uncomfortable, but was unable to finish his sentence.
?What do you need?? Mordoth asked patiently after Draxxis failed to respond for a few moments.
Though he had many things to figure out, Draxxis did not want to be left alone to figure them out. ?What was it you came here to ponder??The black dragon lay back down again. His head held high.
?For years,? he said slowly, ?we?ve fought the Aegis and have barely succeeded in keeping them from over-running the whole of the world. Even with the powers we are given as Gifted, it has still been a long fight. Have you ever stopped to think why it?s taken so long??
It was flattering to the red dragon to even be asked such a question. His voice was low, almost a rumble as he replied. ?There are too few of us dragons, and the naka are not strong enough.? He felt confident of his answer. There could be no other explanation.
The answer was quite a rebuke to Draxxis, although Mordoth worded it softly and kindly. ?No,? he said even slower still with a bit of sadness in his voice. ?No.? a long sigh that could only come from one with lungs the size of an adult dragon?s issued from the black dragon.
?The Aegis fight with a common purpose: to over-run the living of Istaria. Can we really say the same of ourselves?"
Draxxis?s mind echoed again the voice of Plink, ?You want power, Draxxis?? The echo only served to further confuse the younger dragon. ?I?m not sure I understand what you mean, honored leader.?
Mordoth slowly rose, stretched his wings and began to hover slightly above Draxxis. ?Do the living races fight united in cause as the Aegis does? Are we really united? Or are we still fighting the battle on both fronts??
Draxxis lifted his head to look his guild master in the eye. ?I don?t understand what you?re asking.?
Mordoth looked to the sky and began flying off. ?Maybe if I understood the answers myself, I could better explain the questions. Travel safely, young Draxxis. Someday we?ll find those answers, and the Aegis won?t be able to stand against us.?
Draxxis watched the older dragon slowly disappear flying out over the ocean. Alone with his thoughts once more, the red dragon lowered himself to the ground and huffed slightly. Two questions burning so brightly in his mind that he was completely self-absorbed. ?You want power, Draxxis?? the tinny voice of the dryad was mixing with the deep rumble of what his guild master had asked. ?Are we really united??
Right before the sounds of battle reached his ears, Draxxis could hear the slow and almost stupid sounding grounding of Tokoz?s voice in the depths of his memories. ?You are alone, aren?t you, Draxxis??
But the obvious battle happening nearby pulled the red dragon from his thoughts and he quickly took to flight to see where the battle was. It wasn?t far. A small dark blue dragon was completely surrounded by the ghosts that haunted the peak. One of the attackers was Eliel the Hunter, Draxxis had met that ghost before.
Not taking much time to completely size up the battle beyond the fact that the hatchling was looking much more hurt than his attackers, the red dragon swirled down and landed in the middle of the fray.
?Need a little assistance, young one?? Draxxis asked with almost a little rare laughter in his voice, as he started to claw the attackers that surrounded the two. The red dragon had made sure that he had landed with his back to the hatchling?s for better protection, so was not able to see the expression of anger that erupted from the hatchling.
?I am Metaniono, not ?young one.?? the hatchling responded obstinately . ?And I plan on doing this ascension myself. I don?t need any help!?
?You don?t stand a chance, I can hold them back long enough for you to recall, Metaniono.? Draxxis responded, with a touch of respect for one so independant. ?But you have too many on you for both of us to handle.? Another ghost fell before the red dragon, but more seemed to be coming. ?You can try again later.?
?I?ll do this alone!? the hatchling insisted.
Still fighting too hard to even see the little dragon behind him, Draxxis called out without even turning his head, ?I?ll meet you in Dralk. I can maybe at least find one that will help with your armor and you can try this alone again.?
An arrow in his back forced Draxxis to turn suddenly and found himself face to face with Elial, the body of the hatchling laying in tatters at his feet. Realizing there was no more reason to fight, Draxxis took to wing. It hurt his pride slightly to have to withdraw, but he felt a deep desire to meet up with Metaniono as soon as possible.
He watched as the attackers made a few vain attempts to hit him, and then turned and left. The body of the small hatchling lay there for long enough that the red dragon was beginning to wonder if perhaps it had not been one of the Gifted, but after a moment, it faded, apparently to return to wherever it?s soul had been bound.
Draxxis landed and took a few arrows before he was able to recall himself to Dralk. He struted to a nearby dragon and asked with a careful tone.
?A small hatchling, Metaniono...? he looked around as he talked to the yellow dragon before him gave a quizzical look. ?Did he recall here??
?I don?t know any hatchling by that name,? the yellow dragon responded, ?what did he look like??
Draxxis gave the description, and the first dragon and several others who had overheard him and saw his desperation, responded that no hatchling like that had been to the bind stone. So next he went to Chiconis, where he was told the same thing. The guard there even mentioned that he?d met most hatchlings going through their rite of passage, but hadn?t heard of one named Metaniono.
?Doesn?t even sound like a dragon name to me.? someone else said.
Thinking that maybe Metaniono had bound to one of the naka-duskael shrines, Draxxis next tried Kion. As he was asking around there a familiar voice said, ?Mew?? Draxxis turned to face Starlight. ?I can?t imagine why a dragon would even be named that.? she said.
Something about the sureness with which Starlight said that stopped the red dragon. The panic left him for a moment and he was able to look the saris directly in the eyes.
?What do you mean, Starlight?? he asked with more respect than he?d ever given to a saris before.
?Mew,? she responded, ?Melaniono is an old word from the Sslik language. I don?t even think they use it anymore. I can?t imagine a dragon would know the word let alone name a hatchling that.?
?What does it mean?? Draxxis asked slowly, the realization coming to him that he?d never see that hatchling again.
?It means to turn around basically. The sslik used to use it to refer to the time when the other, non-saris races, stopped fighting against them and joined them in the fight with the Withered Aegis.?
Draxxis stood still for a moment. Not that long along the thought of a nak-duskael word being used to name any dragon would have set him to rage, but now he found himself unable to say anything.
?Mew?? Starlight asked.
?It couldn?t mean anything else??
?Well,? Starlight said, ?I supposed there?s enough languages out there... But that?s what I know it to mean.?
And somehow Draxxis also knew that Sslik word was exactly what the name was supposed to mean.

(That concludes my portion of Metaniono. The epilogue and what all this means, is up to Draxxis to finish the story.)