From Embers

26 - Liar, Liar, Light Her on Fire Part 1

"How...how is that possible?" Rhistel's mouth found difficulty forming words. Her stiff fingers picked at her cracked lips and with each breath, her joints defrosted for a few moments.

Jai-Jai rolled her eyes; hands gently stroking Alanis' face, down her arms, hands settling at her hips before moving back up. Alanis' body leaned into Jai-Jai, the blue from her lips fading into its usual soft pink. She hadn't awoken, but Rhistel found solace in any movement that she made.

"I asked ye a question. How do ye exist? Dragons died-"

"We were murdered. Betrayed by those who we thought were allies." Jai-Jai's eyes pierced Rhistel. Irridescent waves of scales rippled down her body, a glimpse of the beast beneath the facade. "Don't sugarcoat what happened. After the humans left, the world needed a new villain, and you chose dragons."

"That's not what happened." Flinching, Rhistel tried to scoot backwards, but the invisible chains of fear grabbed her again and she couldn't move. As the ice melted from the walls, Rhistel felt her power trickling back. She demanded, "Who burnt Ballfield?"

"Do you need to ask?" Jai-Jai warmed a small section of the floor before rolling Alanis off her legs. She stretched out, clicks ran down her back and bare feet twisted in circles. The gold anklet glinted under the dull glow from the lights.

"The false humans my sister mentioned...why would they help destroy the city? A knew yer kind could mask themselves in human form to hide among the crowds before, but, why completely abandon yer true selves?"

"Dragons helped humans during their fall." The scales disappeared as Jai-Jai's shoulders hunched. The room felt more spacious and the hold on Rhistel slunk away. Water droplets refroze as they dropped from the ceiling. "Rumours spread that we would help once again if they called for us to retake the world. As if we were a common lapdog, jumping to help our masters when summoned." Her aura dampened. "The unrest spread like wildfire, and, well, you know, the hunting began. My mother was the last. We had a family reunion recently. Unfortunately, her mouth was a little full. We didn't talk much."

"The skull in Lord Nerifeil's hall, that's yer ma?"

Jai-Jai chewed on her nails. "Our council met with a vampire, who promised to stop the bloodshed. However, his version of freedom differed to ours." Her toes pointed forward, giving the elf a better look of the anklet. "This is the physical embodiment of our shackles, we can't remove it. Cursed to wear the faces of those who were the villains in the New World's history. We were given a sanctuary and we've lived there ever since. I was the last hatched before the deal was struck, no more eggs exist or will ever."

"Yer da, is he still alive?"

"No," was the simple response.

"Who raised ye?"

"Someone that you should thank the Gods that you'll never meet."

Rhistel could see her nose turning red with cold in the cover of her eye. The growing hair made her scalp itch, and she couldnt help but scratch. The false human busied herself with Alanis again, steam rising from the floor as it continued to thaw.

"What do ye think the witches want with us?"

"Nothing terrible dear, we just need your help," a honeyed voice called. A small window in the door swung open, Martha's face behind it. She grinned.

The door shook violently when Rhistel kicked it. "All burn ye alive if ye donnae let us oot. Me sister is freezin' to death."

Martha stepped backwards, rubbing her nose. "Well, of course, she is. We can't use all your meat at once, it needs to be preserved somehow."