Cayo tumbeled out of the sky, roaring defiance as the net hit him. It tangled his wings together, and swept his legs from under him. Rhavaniel screamed as the pain channeled through her veins as well as his. She fell to her knee's clutching her heart. "Ladeos ... Stop... Youre hurting us..." she begged, throwing her bow aside.
He wont listen! Cayo screeched in her mind, still tearing at the net and snarling at the other dragons. With his finall roar, his cast a healing spell upon his rider, and collasped, blood trickeling from a head wound. With her final strength, Rhavaniel stood again, and defied Ladeos with her eyes, before crumpeling silently to the ground, unconcius (sp)

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Ladeos looked as the dragon fell to the ground and examined the silver one, it was breathing, but out of the game the other seemed quite happy with their work all tough were ready to finnish the silver one. Ladeos looked at them all even his mother, he knew that if the silver one`s knew that he was mong in killing a silver one he would be doomed and the other blacks would probably be threatened, but under their mothers watchful guide they would survive. Ladeos was a loner and he didn`t afford to do that nor did he want to train some rats of his siblings.

"I´ll finnish this... this is the vermin I mentioned earlier or the rider..."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

A splitting pain in her head awoke gher, and she was disappointed to find she was not dead. SHe sat up carfully, and glanced about."Cayo!" was the firstt thing the crossed her lips, as she scrambeled up, and over to the dragon prince, laying a hand on his scaly head. Nothing happend, he didnt move. Desperatly she turned to Ladeos "Let him live!" she shouted "It was me! I put him up to it! Please! Let us go!"

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

"You did what?" the Archmage pounced like a serpent, spinning around, his face livid.

Denaris carefully held his ground, meeting his superior's eyes with deliberate coolness. The last dying screams of the first-year apprentice had mounted his humor considerably.

"I let the dragon go, Archmage. I did not hear you give further orders...?"

The Third of the Council at the Archmage Kvanoes's left snorted derisively. A piercing glare from the Archmage silenced him.

"You had a full-grown black dragon under your control and you didn't even bring it back here?"

Denaris pursed his lips, wondering what in the world all this commotion was about. Beneath it all, he was quite certain the Archmage would have preferred if Ladeos had simply killed him.

"If it had been 'under my control,' dear Archmage, would I have let it escape?"

Kvanoes took a breath, calmed himself and regained his composure. "You are to bring Ladeos back here," he said, his face unreadable.

The Second swallowed his highly descriptive insult just in time. Choking back his anger, he managed, "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why?"

The Archmage smiled, a cold mirthless gesture that did nothing to brighten his face. "You know me too well, Erydera."

The Fourth of the Council, standing on the right, had the audacity to whisper something in his superior's ear. The Archmage inclined his head, thinking.

"I apologize for interrupting your complacency," Denaris intervened quietly. "But just how am I going to get the confounded dragon to listen to me?"

"Give him this," the Archmage said with an enigmatic wave of his hand. A scroll appeared out of thin air. He handed it to Denaris.

"And I shall expect your return in a fortnight, no more."

_________________

Ladeos looked at the elf with a smile on his face, but with a certain sense of strictness and proudness.

"And what would I gain by doing that? I would get the hate of all the silver dragons in this world upon me and do it for someone whom I don`t care anymore? The black mathriarch doesn`t care for me or my siblings, only for her revenge and she would use us to tire her enemies then destroy them... unfortunately I am the only one to suspect such possibility..."

Ladeos placed his claw on Cayo`s throat, but kept it there in case of surprise attacks and betrayal.

"Now you will be coming with me elf and he will too, I have uses for you and I must see to it that this one won`t die because of me... besides.. I want answers most of all..."

Ladeos threw his head back and looked at the sky where his siblings had left the scene, the mathriarch had returned into her cave without greater interest, which was perfect for the situation. Ladeos turned to the elf.

"Now the rider... stay there and I will take us to my lair... no backstabbing and I want answers... do you agree?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"Yes, yes." she sobbed "But dont hurt him." she wrapped her hand in the silver-blue plumage that Cayo had along his spine.
Dont tell him anything Rhan... she heard his voice in her head, but blocked it with a simple Rest. All will be well

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Daleos chanted a spell for a while and after few moments they were in a big cave with magical treasures in it, he looked around satisfied and then picked up huge shackles and chained the silver dragon. He looked at them both with a cunning smile.

"I will not hurt you, but you can`t promise me anything that I could trust for I wanted no harm on you truly, but you attacked me and tried to either capture or kill me... why did you come after me?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"That I cannot honestly say..." The elf said lowering her gaze. "I'm sworn to secrecy..."

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Ladeos layed down on his stomach with narrowed eyes

"You have no choice elf... I know that it is he who has made you sworn secrecy obvioudly so perhaps I will have to harm him more, if you don`t tell me..."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

Rhan looked over at her dragon wistfully "Talk to me as man, and it will be easier for me." she said suddenly.

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

Ladeos was aumsed, but now slightly confused what she meant, did she have the guts to ask him to turn into a lesser life form so that he would be wounerable.

"How stupid do you think I am elf? I would be far more vounerable then... I am losing patience with you..."

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

The scroll was sealed.

Pursing his lips in frustration, Denaris attempted a number of spells on it before casting it down in disappointment. The enchantments the Archmage had warded it with allowed no breach, let no prying eyes read its contents. The scroll had been made for one reader and one reader only, lest the offender suffer a most unpleasant death.

Kvanoes was Archmage, and his power was so far unmatched. The scroll embodied that and reinforced it, reminded Denaris bitterly of his position as Second. Not First and Archmage. Second. The Archmage had arcane resources sealed to all save for himself, and Denaris had not yet had the support to openly challenge his superior.

That matter did not dampen his spirits for long, however.

It was the dragon he was worried about.

He strode through the torchlit corridors of Pnen'adr, veiling his impatience behind a mask of complacency. He was headed for the library. Nevermind the public library that was open to even the lowliest initiate. He had the means to enter the stash of ancient volumes available to the Council only. The only source of consolation he found was the way the apprentices, especially the first-year ones, now scrambled over each other to get out of his way. Evidently news of how that particular first-year had suffered a most tortuous death had spread like wildfire.

Denaris rounded a corner, taking a detour to his destination to avoid the crowds. A door, normally closed and barred at this time of day, drew his attention. A soft blue light, flickering and glowing, emanated from under the doorway. Denaris stopped, intrigued. Swiftly casting a spell to make sure no invisible bodies lingered near, he stepped closer to the door. Another spell told him the door was warded with an elaborate weave of curses that would at best offer the intruder a quick and painless death. He magically cloaked himself, then set about experimentally prodding and prying into the weave. Once or twice he began worming himself in before hastening back out again, having stumbled across a cunning trap. At last he found a weak spot. He cast about for triggers, then, satisfied, slowly worked himself in. He dispelled the weave thread by thread, working around traps and untying the knots in a way that wouldn't trigger any magical alarms. After about half an hour, the weave fell apart under his probing fingers. Elation and relief flooded over him. Absently he wiped the sweat from his brow and set about replacing the real wards with illusions. Once the illusions were set to his satisfaction, he checked to make sure his invisibility cloak still shielded him and cast a spell of hearing. Immediately the Archmage's voice filled his ears as though he were standing right next to him.

"... must not suspect. Ladeos's magic will aid him, of course, but should he really find the artifact Pnen'adr will be in grave danger."

"The back of his cave is teeming with magical protections," someone else objected. "If the artifact was really hidden there, surely he'd know about it?"

Denaris was so astonished he stepped back from the door. Had his lie actually proven true? The hearing spell was still in place, however, and the sounds from the other side of the wall were still coherent.

"... once getting his hands on the artifact, couldn't resist the temptation," the Archmage's expressionless voice rang out.

"And what if Erydera finds it first?"

"He won't know what is. Not that he couldn't figure it out, but that'd take a sevenday at the best. I've only given him a fortnight to complete the assignment. That should spur him on considerably."

Robes rustled on the other side, and the hearing spell expired. The wards had also begun to recharge themselves. Denaris withdrew. He had heard all he needed to know.

_________________

"No! No, wait! I promise not to attack you or whatever, killing you would mean my death as well." she bit her bottom lip hard for that, drawing blood.

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

"You lie..."

Ladeos said with a cold and decisive voice, but slightly smiled and turned around to the other end of the cave, it wasn`t far, but far enough. He turned back into the dark elf appreance turning back to Rhan.

"One step closer and I will blast you away in the worst scenario, understood?"

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!

"It is understood..." Rhan said quietly looking to the floor "What do you want to know?"

_________________



. O r b i s N o n S u f f i c i t .

"Why are you interested of me? Why did you attack me? I have the mages on my back and then you show up attacking me!"

Ladeos almost shouted with an accusing and fustrated voice.

_________________

Let him curse my name
On these blood stained pages of misery
Let him call me a tyrant so cruel
Let him curse my name, but remember the truth!