Arriving at Zenith, I glanced around the land once a kingdom of dragon and man alike. Looking up towards the platform of Hraesvelgrs usual summoning and looked even further up. Having no way of summoning him myself, it was time I went to meet him once again. Closing my eyes I quickly changed into my eikon form and stretched my demonic wings. Blasting off into the air as I flew farther and farther up. Behind me I could hear the flapping of wings and glanced to see Ryu following closely.
"What do you think you are doing Scarlette?"
I shook my head at him, knowing full well he would try to stop me.
"Hraesvelgr knows does he not? Just as you do. That is why you choose to teach me."
"Stop! He will be furious if you tread upon his lands uninvited."
"I care not."
A massive roar caught both of our attention as we looked off into the distance at the Aery. I bit my lower lip as I stopped in mid air and looked upon the ominous isle.
"Nidhogg."
Ryu looked at me and quickly floated next to me, grasping my arms and pulling me to his chest.
"I can't let you do this."
"I was not asking for permission."
He became very serious as he tossed me away, grasping his blade.
"If I have to, I will defeat you here and now. No one trespasses his domain."
His dragon webbed wings flapped as he floated with his long two handed blade rested aside his right leg. Wildly his blue hair fluttered in the breeze around us. Shaking my head at him, I summoned my staff and readied for a battle.
"I will not kill you Ryu."
Swiftly he charged at me, missing me as my eikon form was far to fast. He continued to strike at me over and over, missing me by mere centimeters.
"You're being an idiot Scarlette! What could you possibly need that is so important?"
"He knows where to find my father doesn't he!?"
Ryus eyes widened and quickly he stopped himself and floated as he looked me deep in my red eyes.
"You were not suppose to know that."
"Where is my father!?"
"It does not matter! Your father is lost to the ages. Tis better you nor this world ever see him again."
I quickly began to fly further up and felt something strike my gut hard. As I blinked, I saw Ryu whom had changed into an au'ra like form. Immedately my body was blasted very far down and I caught myself in the air. Looking at him, I knew he had changed into his dragon form. Gasping for breath for a moment, I quickly held onto my staff and began to charge a lightning ability.
"Tell me what I want to know if you want me to stop Ryu."
"I can not. His existence is far to dangerous and I know you would be foolish enough to want to bring him back."
I roared at him as the sky filled with Umbral Lightning. Holding my staff up, the lightning constantly struck it as if a conductor and I blasted Ryu several times with the elements. Lowering my staff, the lightning followed and erupted a massive area effect of static electricity. Ryu was blasted down into a pillar. Slowly he began to push himself to his feet. Lifting off quickly, he pushed the pillar aside as he quickly made his way behind me.
"You're not fast enough to out fly me yet Scarlette."
As he flew past me, he quickly grasped the back of my neck and began to fly down at an incredible speed. As I leaned back, I placed my hand upon his chest and snickered a bit.
"CHAOS BLAST!"
Immediately a red aura covered his body as he was tossed hard across the lands of the Churning Mists. Landing hard into a mountain side, he tried to fly but was weighted down by my red aura. Taking advantage of the situation I flew up as fast as I could. Reaching an ancient coliseum floating very high above Zenith. Swiftly I flew within and landed upon my knee and hand.
Reverting to my normal form, I looked up to the great white wyrm resting within. Hraesvelgr looked down towards me with his one eye and shook his head. His dragon tongue filled my mind as he spoke with anger.
"You dare trespass upon mine home? No mortal has dared defile these lands since my love Shiva treaded happily upon them."
"What do you know of my father? Why did he come here?"
Behind me the wild flapping of dragon wings was heard and Ryu landed. Quickly he grasped me by my neck and tossed me into a wall.
"YOU DARE QUESTION-"
Hraesvelgr roared towards Ryu and immediately Ryu kneeled down, reverting to his hyur form.
"She has asked of her kin, tis only right she have an answer."
"Yes my liege."
I picked myself up, brushing off much of the dust left upon me from the attack. Hraesvelgr leaned his head towards me as he closed his eyes. Immediately visions filled my head and I began to see an echo of his past.
******
Hraesvelgr stood upon his pedestal in Zenith as he witnessed and Ryu witnessed a wild red flame flying through the sky. Swiftly it fell into one of the pillars surrounding Zeniths Aetheryte, blasting it into pieces. Standing up, a red demonic looking man stood, staggering as he looked up to the wyrm. Blackened slick horns protruded from his temples and lead down to the back of his neck, splitting into two spikes. His armor crimson red and blackened wyrm scales all around his body.
"YOU!"
Pointing towards Hraesvelgr, the demonic man growled loudly.
"Give me a small taste of your blood and spare me from this everlasting torment!"
Hraesvelgr shook his head in disappointment as he looked upon the demonic man.
"Thou hast lost thy fight with power and become naught but a voidsent. That thou still holds sanity is a testament to thy will power. The blood of mine brood will not quell thy demonic essence."
"You lie! I have done much research upon it! Dragons blood was all we espers required for freedom!"
"The blood of mine father may have been strong enough. He however has fallen, and your redemption was lost when you became what you are. Perhaps if you had sought him out in your mortal years."
"You turn from me with such ease? Shiva was one of us!"
"Do not speak of my love imperfect being."
The demonic man roared loudly, making the land itself tremble as he grasped his red blade Balmung and quickly charged at the great wyrm.
"If you will not give it willingly, I will take it from you by force!!!"
Ryu changed into his dragon form and met his blade against the demonic man.
"Aeon, this is folly. I beg the to try and use your talented mind! This is not you! It is the power within you! Do not give into it."
"Stand aside Ryu! Evolution must take its place!"
Ryus blade was quickly slapped out of his hands by the shear power of Aeon as Aeon grasped him by his head and slammed him hard into the ground. Trying to fly past Ryu, he was quickly tackled to the ground and blasted with a deathflare. Immediately Ryu picked up Aeon and began to fly fast toward the Sea of Clouds. Aeon pummeled Ryus back and stopped him in mid air. Charging his fists quickly, aeon smacked them both into Ryus sides and blasted him far below into the Sea of Clouds.
Flying forward, Aeon was met by several dragons in his path. Hraesvelgr flew behind them as he looked to the demonic man in anger.
"Thou hast harmed one of mine own, threatened mine life. I see I must take care of you myself."
Aeon quickly held his hand up and a massive chaos flare appeared in his hand. Immediately Ryu blasted from the clouds and smacked himself into Aeon pushing him further and further up until the clouds became dark yellow. Immediately elements and aether began to blast at them both. Ryu grit his teeth as he pushed Aeon further and further. Several machines began to surround them both.
Ryu reverted to his hyur form, releasing his grip from Aeon as he shot himself down at a quick speed. Aeon attempted to follow, but the machines surrounded him and began to shock at him as the field he was in continued to pelt him with damaging elements. Roaring, the sky turned red until he began to float unconscious. The machines began to float his body further and further into the field of aether and as I looked out into the distance, I gazed upon a massive floating ship with several islands attached to it. The image became fuzzy and disappeared.
******
"Where is that?"
I picked myself up to my feet as I looked at Hraesvelgr and Ryu. The great wyrm shook his head as he gazed down towards me.
"A place where he will never be able to be free again. In ages past, it was the very birth place of your kind. Locked away by aether and the key lost to time."
"Is their truly no hope of me ever seeing him again!?"
Ryu placed a hand upon my shoulder as I began to sulk.
"I would beg of the to not seek this further."
Hraesvelgr quickly lifted his head as a load roar filled our ears even from up here. Closing his eye, the great wyrm shed a tear as he looked out towards the Aery.
"Nidhogg... has fallen..."
He glanced down towards me and shook his head.
"Leave this place esper. Never return to my domain, I tire of mortals and your endless onslaught for power, greed and violence."
I turned around, beginning to walk away as I glanced back at the great wyrm.
"I am sorry for my transgressions.... I just wanted to know."
He nodded towards me as Ryu stood still before the great wyrm seemingly irritated at me. Just how close of friends had he been with my father? How much did it hurt him to have to do what he did? Sighing, I leapt off the ledge of the coliseum and took upon my eikon form as I floated downwards towards the Churning Mists.
******
Ryu glanced back to Hraesvelgr and shook his head.
"My apologies for your brood brother."
Hraesvelgr shook his head as he looked back where Scarlette was.
"This will not be the end of this chapter I fear my loyal friend. Keep an eye upon her. Help her if thou must, but do not let her fall into despair nor follow her fathers footsteps. She is no longer a mere mortal nor esper, she is a child of Midgardsormr."
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