After The War...

I was finally back home. After the war against the dark dragons, who would want to go to a school that has been destroyed by dark dragons. I was furious. I was locked in my room yelling and screaming, making a fit like a child would, I was mad at what I did. "If I had just stopped him, not let them take that tower, than we could have had a chance. I... I betrayed them and I don't deserve it. It's all their fault." I yelled and threw things around. "Tavarius is gunna get it when he returns... That's if he returns..."

The doors to the main hall slammed open and Mercy hobbled in as if he'd been shoved inside, naked, black blood dripping from his back before he collapsed to his knees; knelt over on all fours. It was the first time he'd been out of his armor in years, and his face showed that age.

Justice followed, her body in the same state, crying as she wheeled behind her a large platform with some sort of rig veiled by a tarp. Several dark dragon soldiers flooded into the hall after them, some slashing at them with black tendrils, others parading in a ring around them, keeping the court at bay. Faith followed apparently unharmed, with a scroll and wearing rags, hobbling without his staff on his limp leg.

I heard the doors open and knew they arrived. I took a deep breath and wiped my tears to not look so bad. I fixed my hair and dress nd walked out the door still pissed until I saw the three harmed. "What happened to you guys?" I began to grow worried. I noticed Tav wasn't with them yet, "Where's Tavarius? I'll get some help right away." I said as I called some of the staff to help them

"Faith," Justice called weakly, as she stopped and collapsed into the nearest servant's arms.

Faith stepped forward silently, handing Athemise the scroll, inside the words danced around to form the silhouette of a man. His voice played the words that formed his body. His demeanor was cool, and an unnatural reverberation echoed beneath his voice's rasp.

"My Dearest of friends, the Ver Todos

I must deliver with great despair that the dark dragon army has met with a considerable setback in our campaign to restore order in lieu of the disappearance of the Time Dragon Empire. Forces in the central sector met with considerable resistance, and though initial progress was rapid, failures in judgement resulted in numerous strategic losses, and of course casualties. To console you in this time of grief, I have sent you a gift; a beautiful piece of art salvaged from the rubble of the devastating battle.

Your Dark Majesty

PS
I do hope you enjoy it as much as I do, though if not, please feel free to do with it what you will! That is just how art works after all, it doesn't always quite invoke the same reaction in everyone else as it would you."

The room was quiet, and the tarp and the contents beneath it now oppressed the room, standing like a titan in the hall, waiting to be unveiled.

"I wonder what it really is." I said curiously taking off the tarp.

Underneath was an array of large rods, rope, and pikes in a contorted bloody mess of gore. I was suspended in the center, my abdomen ripped open and strung up from the rope and my own intestines. A rope held my neck back just above a pike, with several more piercing different angles of my body. A blade was shoved through my shoulder, lodged to cut me into a fatal blow should it be removed. To save my life, meant to hold the sword in position, and severing my arm.

"Tavarius!" I started to cry, "What did they do to you?" I started to feel weak at the sight of blood and called the servants to take them to the infimary. "I'll mange sure you guys will be fine"

As the workers ripped me free of the bonds, my arm ripped away as well. The darkness finally able to maneuver me without further maiming me, immediately went to work; black tendrils rapidly replacing and repositioning my insides to their proper places. A black flap formed over all of my flesh wounds that's slowly became a pale covering little different than the rest of my skin. I had passed out long ago from the sheer agony of my position, but as the darkness finished, I remained asleep, resting from the experience. My arm remained suspended in the complex sculpture I had only a moment ago been a part of. It rapidly decayed into a putrid skeletal form, its natural state, as it left the suspension of imaginary time that darkness held over it. The darkness could heal me, but it could not repair me.

I saw the darkness heal him and just watched him rest. I took a deep breath of relief knowing he was going to be fine. I grabbed a chair and sat next to waiting for him to wake up.

Justice sat covered by her blanket next to Athemise, now healed as the parade of dark dragons that had been lashing her left. Her tear stained face and blood stained skin were the only remaining physical indication of what she had just been through. It didn't take a psychic to see her exhaustion mentally however.

"He refused to fight back," Justice finally whispered to the silent hall, "he didn't commune with us at all, but we knew. He locked his mind away from his body to endure it all, he refused to ruin our plans, so he took the punishment. For his 'failures in command' that lost us Tempo Regine."

"I didn't know that. I assumed he was just following orders to take over the school and such. I'm sorry." I said quietly to Justice. "Do you need anything?"

"We need a leader," Justice finally responded, "the darkness will heal him as quickly as it can, but there's still no telling when he will awaken. It could be days, it could be months. And the King has taken our time rigs. That kind of power can not be left in his hands."

"You think I could do it?" I said to them, "I'm not saying pick me but what does this position of being leader do?" I was curious and then looked at Tavarius. I dont want the King to take over but how would that affect the others? What if I'm not up for it? We dont know how long he will be asleep so its now or never. This is too nerve wrecking I thought to myself then looked back at Justice.

"We think you're the only option," Justice answered, before Mercy finally returned, dressed in spare servants' clothing.

Mercy approached and continued to explain, "Tavarius trusts you, and you are one of the few aware of what we are up against. Being a psychic dragon, your insight is already valuable, but your clairvoyancy gives you incomparable insight to use as a leader. We advise you, and you decide how to approach our problems. It is that simple."

I took a deep breath and sighed. It took me a few minutes to think and nodded. "Ok. I'll do it." I said a bit hesitantly. Lets hope things will get better and so will Tavarius. "I'll try my best not to let him down, as well as you guys."

Mercy and the other servants took Tavarius, and Justice went to find herself clothes with the servants. Faith returned, silently, beckoning Athemise to follow.

I got up from my chair and followed Faith, "When he wakes up... Will he be ok?"

He should be fine, Faith thought, at least as fine as one can be losing a limb. He will probably find some enjoyment in a mechanical limb anyways. It will be "cool" I believe he would think.

Faith brought Athemise to the study, and rolled out a scroll of glass onto the table. A projection of several scrolls appeared on it, labeled various things, battle reports, scouting reports, research reports, negotiation reports. Faith gestures towards it.

We have a lot to speed you up on.

Well the sooner the better I thought to him and looked at the scrolls curiously. This will be interesting

"There is so much that I cant even think to choose." I said to him. "Well we can start about whats going on."

(Continuing from another topic)
I arrived back on Amets and walked into the throne room seeing Sapphire sitting on her throne. It pained me to see my place taken but I ignored it and waited for Lacie.

ATHIIIIIIIIISEEE { I yelled for her} WHERE ARE YOOOU?!?!