Waere Ulhar Maurg

[Kaerisk]

A barrier had been placed over the entrance of the Phoenix’s cave.

It crackled quietly, the formerly open and inviting lair sealed away from the outside world. True, the Blue Phoenix had become more reclusive of late. He had given up teaching en masse like he once did, and he had begun looking towards the internal problems that dragons had. He had tried to solve them.

Could the Ancient truly have given up? It was so against his nature. Indeed, the very reason he was called the Blue Phoenix was because he always rose again. He never gave up. Why? What had happened then that he should shut himself away? He spoke to no one of it.

The barrier crackled softly. Who would even notice he was gone?

[Kaerisk]

Descending into the foyer, one can feel a lingering sense of grief, one of pity. The once whelming hall has become a cold and forgotten chamber. No longer are guests entertained here and only the sound of the rushing water drowns out the sounds from deeper within.

The Upper Layer, filled with beautiful waterfalls and sparkling crystals of blue like the Blue Phoenix himself, seem dimmer, tarnished, disused. The runic mural hums angrily, the policeman watching for any sign of trouble. A hush has fallen over the welcome hall and chambers where once there was happy noise – of hatchlings, tiptoeing or scurrying about, quick to learn, quick to their next adventure. Of bipeds, maintaining and visiting, friendly and happy words shared. All has fallen silent.

And yet, if one listens hard enough, blocks out the sound of rushing water and the silence, one can hear, through the air ducts and tunnels, a pitiable sound of moaning and pain. Deeper still this lair goes…

[Kaerisk]

Scrying deeper, or looking into a memory, one would next remember the heat, wafting up the deeper levels. It radiates from the burning heart of the lair, the Dragon Layer. One might overlook the guest chamber if they have a purpose in mind in that hall, and the small purple hatchling hiding within.

Beyond this point, astral projection is the only hope of scrying further. The Blue Phoenix liked his privacy from the prying eyes of the gods – perhaps nothing has changed, or has only grown worse? But even this projection is not flawless. Time, space, memory, fact, thoughts – all become jumbled. But still, one must scry deeper…

The Lunus hall at the heart of the lair has seen less use of late as well. “I WON’T LET YOU HURT HER!� The sound echoes through the hall randomly, rising from the deeper lair. The sound of a blue hatchling scurrying as fast as he can, heading to the upper lair follows. The silence returns, only the bubbling lava remains, but streaks begin to pass in and out, as if time has sped up. Black, white, black, blue, pink, black, white – the streaks are people, but it is impossible to tell who. Standing before the Private Lair, one can hear an angry voice.

“Ieo am going to change nieo now…�

[Kaerisk]

Blood. There was blood in the Private Lair. Here, the defenses are strongest – it is hard to tell if it was here or another place in the lair, now or several years ago. But there was blood. And it felt fresh.

In the first chamber, the sound of eggs cracking: hatchlings coming into the world. A beautiful thing. The black one, youngest and slow, still fought his sisters for the nest, but he was never able to claim victory or defeat, as the fight was stopped. He would have lost. But whose hatchlings where these? When were these?

Passing beyond, many happy memories of two hatchlings, white and black, working diligently on one of the chambers, and then residing within it. Maekrux often sat there and smiled. But he wasn’t there any longer. Passing deeper still, a sense of confinement. Like the walls were closing in. A trap? A memory? Who can say?

The path turns up from here. “Ieo am going to take /everything/ from nieo...� the memory voice says. Why? Still more voices echo down from above, just over the sound of wailing and pain that may very well be current. “Other dragons won't let you do that!� the small, female voice protested. It fell deafly. “A'me- oh no!� A black streak followed this small voice. The black streak returned again, saying, “You see, little hatchling, it's too late. This is my lair now.�

This is my lair now…

[Kaerisk]

Further up the path goes: the Brood path. Maekrux had no use of this path and so it was last to be constructed. Ah, but if Maekrux could ever take a mate, it would be very beautiful to show: sparkling lights, beautiful blue and red crystals, warm, spa-like waters, lava at the very top to maintain the heat against eggs. But this is only the shape of things, not the truth of them.

“Your a’mea is in the brood chamber. Why don’t you go introduce yourself to her again?� the voice said, the blue streak heading up the path. Ascending, one finds a moss-covered stoneworking chamber. The moss helps maintain the air at that depth. There a scene plays out, a black figure and a pink one. The black speaks, the same voice as before. “I never wanted to see you again. To be honest, I’m not sure I want to see you now.�

“What? Why do you say that?� the pink asked.
“Because I’m not your son anymore, Biniki.� The voices cut out, the sound gone, but they are still talking, the pink cowering back and the black standing proudly. And then they are gone.

Up and up the path winds. Here one might stop at the essence chamber, many beautiful lights hovering in the air. “Sparkly!� a young and naïve voice fills this place.

“How about this one? Or is there not enough water?� The voice was muted slightly, held down, gentle, but it was the same as the black. It was as if the black were nuzzling someone.

“Mes like. Sparkly shiny like essence chamber at home,� she said.
“This is now niea room, so you can sleep here whenever niea want. Ieo want to keep you with Ieo forever.�
“Mes no live forever.�
“D'na. But all k'ieo life.� The black was insistent. The small voice agreed without reservation.

Further up, the pinnacle. The Brood chamber itself. One cannot deny it anymore. The sound of crying, of screaming. Something terrible has occurred beyond, cloistered far from prying eyes. Even the projection fades here. But going so far, can one truly stop here? One must try to peer inside.

Two blue forms rest within the brood chamber, one large and one small. Unmoving, and yet growing. Blood again wafts through the lair. Why do they not rise up? If this was the one who once owned the lair, there is none who could fight him and defeat him in his own home!

Then the vision of it comes. Black, fluid tendrils, thick and angry, writhing about madly. The shape of a dragon is there, but with vision so distorted, the truth is there, and maddening. The gibbering maws, the eyeless tendrils, the clawing appendages, writhing. And it is growing. It has touched all in this lair, and it has left its mark. “This is my lair,� he had said, and the sound echoes from it again, but now it is distorted, darker. The very Prime itself buckles and caves under its abhorrent amorphous structure. And all the while, a controlled hate radiates from it, a purpose. It has already won.

“Nieo thought that nieo could kill me? Nieo thought that nieo could rule me? Ieo want no part of kor world... and now nieo are going to become a part of mine...�

An ideal world awaits. The blackness covers the vision in darkness and devours it utterly. Only one realization remains in that darkness, that inescapable darkness.

It is changing everything – and it has changed everyone within that lair to the very core.

[Galdethriel]

((Can I comment now? Squee!

As usual, great work Mae. It was addictive to read and I kept trying to read while playing HZ. Galde must have a very sore and bruised head from auto-flying into mountainsides and cliffs by now. XD

~Galde ))

[Vaz]

Intriguing. I try to guess who's who but enjoy the anonymity.

[Kaerisk]

As always, thank you kindly for the comments.

This is another one that's hard to read. The reason in this case has to do with the fact that no one, not even the gods can actually see into Mae's lair, with all of its defenses active, and so everything gets distorted. I just kind of wanted to give a heads up in terms of what's been going on with Mae's life without giving too many details away.

I'll be putting up another story before long, which should be much easier to read and less secretive. Right now, I just want to give the questions. ;p

[Myrra]

I did like this one... at least there is danger, but nothing lost for ever, except a dragon, lost to everyone, rejecting even k'ieo am'ea

[RuneDragoon]

wow, I missed a lot while I was gone! O_O If mae needs help with anything just poke the runos.