FlightRising - Three Word Prompt

[zilentdreamer]

User: Kalypsonite
Words: Prophecy, Dusk, Ribbon

“What do you want?”

Ignoring the growled out question Seyon dropped into the empty seat by the fire. He lifted his hands so the dancing flames could warm the chill out of his fingers. Behind him he could hear the rest of the camp moving about, soft conversations and the occasional thump and rustle as supplies were dispersed or unpacked. Occasionally he felt the pressure of eyes on him, a there and gone flick of awareness that he felt like invisible fingers on his back.

Wyvern sighed when he didn’t receive a response and threw another stick on the fire. There was a burst of sparks and the dancing tongues of flame quickly licked over the dry wood. The black stain of char flowed as smooth and slow as water, devouring with insatiable hunger.

“I need you to take me somewhere.” Seyon said. When he glanced out of the corner of his eye he could see the wary tension spring to life beneath Wyvern’s all encompassing cloak. “And the other’s can’t know where we’re going.”

Wyvern coughed out a laugh. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Seyon nodded but continued, “If you don’t help me I’ll go by myself. And I doubt I’ll be able to get where I’m going without you.”

“Considering I’ve tried to kill you several times I don’t see why this is supposed to bother me.” One dark eye peeked out from the cover of his cloak. “You’re just making it easy for me at this rate.”

Smirking outright Seyon said, “I’m about to make it even easier than you think. I’m trying to get to the Darkause Ruins.”

Any amusement Wyvern had found in the situation vanished like smoke. Seyon saw the twitch of his cloak and imagined the other man was clenching his hands into fists. There was a betraying rustle where the cloak draped over the back of the log he was seated on. As if he couldn’t keep the scaled length of his tail still. “No one goes there,” Wyvern ground out. “After fighting this hard to live why would you guarantee yourself a death sentence?”

“Would it be?” Seyon asked. Lifting his hands he studied the marks on his wrists with a hard won reserve. A single band as black as pitch encircled each wrist. Beneath the firelight it shone as if it were a mere satin ribbon laying against his skin, but it was as much a part of him as any of his limbs. “I have my doubts about that.”

Surging to his feet Wyvern turned towards the dark line of trees in the distance where the forest ended and the camp began. No doubt to disappear until sunrise as was his usual routine. Seyon gestured and Wyvern froze in place, falling unnaturally still. It dug at something inside Seyon to do it, as if some vast pressure were coming to bear from the skin out but he had come too far and lost too much to stop now. The line had been crossed and there was only one way to go now.

“I am going to release you.” It took effort for Seyon to keep his voice even. The longer he brought his will to bear on Wyvern the greater the pressure grew. Seyon flicked his eyes down to the marks on his wrists and saw miniscule tendrils begin to break up the perfect edges, as if putting down roots. “When I do, you will sit down and hear me out. After I’m done then you can leave.” His mouth curled up into a smile he never thought he could make. “If you still want to.”

With a twist of will he released the hold he had and sagged forward. He barely had the energy to lift his head to see Wyvern take one threatening step toward him before stopping. The shifter’s eyes raked over the rest of the camp and all the watching eyes. Seyon could see the struggle in him, the debate on wondering what would happen if he tried to take Seyon out again. Would he be fast enough to do it considering what Seyon had already proven he could do? Would he be able to get away afterwards? Would it be worth it even if he couldn’t?

Seyon knew what the answer would be before Wyvern dropped back into his seat. “Get talking then. The sooner you get this over with the quicker I can get out of here.”

“It’s not like you’ll go far,” Seyon couldn’t help but point out. “Not while I’m still alive anyway.”

“Without you there is no prophecy,” Wyvern snapped. “If you die everyone else is safe.”

Laughter bubbled out of Seyon, surprising him and judging from the look on Wyvern’s face, him as well. “How noble of you,” Seyon said, still laughing. “You should have said something before. Then I might have let you stab me the last three times you tried.”

If Seyon hadn’t already proven that he could keep Wyvern in place no doubt he would have already stomped his way back to the forest. Off to brood and plot more murder attempts no doubt.

“I’ll admit the prophecy does make things seem somewhat dire.” The understatement almost made Seyon start laughing all over again. A gate from which the demons would descend upon their world and feast to their heart’s content, and he was the key. Or so the prophecy claimed. “But I’m starting to wonder if that’s what it’s actually saying.”

Seyon had never seen Wyvern dumbfounded so he did his best to commit the expression to memory. “What madness is this?” Then his expression cleared into the murderous one that Seyon was more familiar with. “No, I will not let your cowardice doom our world. You are the key and if you die, then the prophecy cannot be completed.”

“That’s why I need to go to Darkause ruins. That’s where the prophecy was first stated, and I need to know what happened there.”

“The entire castle was murdered by demons. What more do you need to know?” Wyvern’s claws sank into the log he was sitting on. Seyon wasn’t sure he even knew he was doing it.

It was on the tip of his tongue to explain, to mention the letters he had found. They were from Nicola, the first Demon Bound, to her sister but Seyon held his tongue. It was unlikely that Wyvern would believe him if he explained that the demons were the first victims in what seemed to be an endless war. Summoned from their realm and bound with chains of magic and will, they had never had a choice. They were enslaved and used, passed down from one mage to another until they faded into nothing more than violent wraiths. It was difficult to wrap his head around, so much of his country’s history based on a lie, but he had to know for himself.

“I recently discovered something that makes me doubt the way the prophecy has been interpreted.” It was a poor explanation and Seyon knew he deserved the contemptuous look Wyvern threw at him. “I’ll make a bargain with you,” Seyon said, leaning forward. “You take me to Darkause and if you still think I need to die, I’ll let you kill me.”

“You’re lying.” Wyvern snorted, unimpressed. “After how hard you’ve fought and everything you’ve done up to this point there’s no way you’d just let me kill you.”

Which was true, to a point. “It will be just me and you,” Seyon said. “Considering how close you’ve gotten so far, I think you’re chances are good if there isn’t anyone else around to stop you.”

There was a growl and Wyvern lunged toward him only to stop at the last moment. Seyon held up a hand when he heard a shout behind him. “I’m fine,” he yelled. “He isn’t going to hurt me.”

“That confident are you?” Wyvern’s fangs were visible, an obvious sign that his control was slipping. It probably shouldn’t have made Seyon more confident. “Why shouldn’t I kill you right here and now?”

Seyon ‘reached’ and gripped Wyvern once again. He knew it was a stupid thing to do before he did it, but there was that throbbing anger that had been stewing in his gut since he first found that letter and he was tired. TIred of being fed lies and having everyone look at the black marks on his wrist first and who he actually was and did second. “Because you can’t. I’m offering you a choice. Help me find out the truth, the actual truth, and maybe we can stop a war.” He ‘squeezed’ a little tighter and heard Wyvern grunt. “Unless you think you can’t take me by yourself?”

“You think I’ll risk my life to help you?” Wyvern scoffed. “No one goes to Darkhause and comes out alive.”

“But you did,” Seyon said. He didn’t look away as the blood drained away from Wyvern’s face and there was a dull crunch as his claws bit into the log Seyon was sitting on. “Yes, I know you have been there. And I need you to take me back. So, how badly do you want to kill me? Obviously you’ll have a chance to kill me on the way there. Are you going to pass that up?”

“I’ll take you,” Wyvern ground out. The fury laced in every syllable was almost impressive. “Once we get to Darkause I won’t need to lift a finger to kill you.” He snarled in a flash of fangs followed by a snake-like hiss. “That cursed place will do it for me.”

“We’ll see.” Not an inspiring comeback but it was all Seyon had to say. Anything else would reveal the shaky relief that against all odds Wyvern had agreed. Seyon honestly hadn’t thought the shifter would. “What time do we leave?”

Wyvern stepped back and if there was a brief shudder when he was able to move away Seyon chose to ignore it. “Not tonight. We need to make sure we have supplies. And a plan to deal with your ‘friends’.” Wyvern ground his jaw hard enough Seyon could almost hear the teeth grinding together. “Be ready two days from now, dusk.”

Seyon wasn’t given a chance to respond. Wyvern hightailed it away from the campfire and the camp itself as if the demons of old were after him. Seyon couldn’t exactly blame him. So he sat and stared into the dancing, flickering flames until he had the energy to move. When he glanced at his arms the strange black marks had returned to the same satin smooth finish and clear cut lines.

Hopefully he would have his answer soon.