Mountain Sound (Dragonfly #3)

Royal Blood

Merry Christmas! Here's part 1 of my present to you guys!
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Eventually some guards found us and dragged us back. The sun was setting and I was a bit worried about their Blood Moon celebration. We were so caught up in our fun we didn't notice every tunnel we went down was instantly blocked by large boulders. Until we found ourselves back in the main room, the sound of the rolling boulder echoed across the room. The light of the ghastly red moon coating everything a thick soupy light. It made my brain ache just trying to see in the half light.

"What was that?" Said Arroyo, I started to hear panic edge his voice "did you here that?"

"It's quiet, and empty" I said, suspicion prickling my spine like beetles crawling up my back.

"Too quiet" said Zara

I felt her presence in my subconscious. Strong and bright, like fire, but doubting. Her greatest fear, her fatal flaw.

:We're being watched: She hissed in my mind.

:Arroyo?:

:No, I haven't seen Kennon for a good hour though, probably betrayed us:

I looked over at her and nodded. Then all other exits were suddenly blocked, and the moon reached her highest peak. All around the room, thousands of glowing eyes appeared. Apparently there was enough light to still reflect off claw's eyes.

"Guys!" Gasped Arroyo, he seemed to be having a difficult war with his mind and body. I could see his ectoplasmic green eyes flicking to red.

"What's going on?" Demanded Zara.

Arroyo was hunched over. When he turned towards us, glowing red coals had replaced his eyes. His fangs had grown at least three centimeters longer.

"The Blood Moon is calling" he hissed.
-
Deep in his prison, Kennon was trying to fight off the maddening call of the Moon. It was like slipping into sleep after a day of hard work, but then you realized nightmares plagued you dreams. His gray eyes slowly switched red. He clawed at the boulder, this time succeeding. An undying thirst for the metallic taste of blood.
-
Tenebris was giggling like a baby with candy, this was his zone right here. He was currently in Regulus's mind, till the moment came when he would execute his full plan. This whole, call of the moon thing was a bit difficult to grasp, But he has most of it figured out. Apparently they had a legend about this, the Moon, infused with Magykal properties had some some sort of an effect on the Blood-claws. Basically they lose it for a few minutes until the Moon is out of position. Tenebris had about three more of these precious minutes, and Regulus was going in the right direction.
-
"Arroyo?" I gasped.

His eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed. A hundred claws started crawling down the walls towards us.

"Zach?" Said Zara.

"Yeah?" I answered, backing up a bit.

"If you ever run away again, I will personally hunt you down and lock you in the deepest dungeon we have" she growled

"And I thought Regulus was scary!" I answered.

Then Arroyo woke up.

"My head hurts" he said

"You're not evil right?" I asked him

"I don't think so?" he answered.

"What's going on?" Zara demanded.

All the claws had started fighting with each other. Mercilessly tearing, but not killing, and none were taking flight.

"Look, what I said about the Blood Moon ceremony, it wasn't exactly the truth" he stuttered

"We can see that, but why?" I said, feeling a bit betrayed.

"You're the first claw that's been friends with me since my mother die- went missing!" He screeched

A heavy silence settled over the three of us. Part of me was feeling pity, another part still wanted to be friends, but the majority was screaming to get the heck out of here. I dodged a swipe not meant for me, another grazed my flank. I yelped an hopped on a rock.

"We need to get out of here!" I yelled above the noise of screaming claws.

I saw a shadow flicker on the edge of my vision. Sweeping towards us was Kennon, his eyes alight with a fire I didn't know he had.

"I'm going to kill you" he snarled.

"No!" Screeched Arroyo, flinging himself at his brother "you have to fight it!"

For a second I actually saw something flicker in those red hot coals he had for eyes. The he flung Arroyo aside and headed towards me. I darted swiftly up the tower of rock, and flew the last distance to the peak. Just evading Kennon's teeth on my tail. He simply flew to the top of the glass and dived down in a stoop, I would have admired his flying skills if his aim wasn't to kill me.

I jumped off the rock and desperately circled the room, but that power dive have given him speed. I felt his claws on my haunches and I rolled, trying to trow him off my trail. It worked, I dropped and he flew over me, I quickly ascended. Where was Zara when I needed her? I spotted her with an unconscious Arroyo, who had banged his head on a rock. I screamed as Kennon appeared from below and pulled some primaries out of my wing.

Without my precious primaries I began to drop slowishly. Kennon suddenly dropped as well, and I heard a maniacal laughing echo around. Most of the claws had collapsed so an erie silence settled after that.

"Hello Zach" laughed Regulus, but something was different about his voice "remember me?"

I gasped as I realized Tenebris had possessed another. Instead of gray or red, Regulus's eyes were dark as he walked calmly towards me.

"Stay away" I tried to sound tough, but it came out more as a squeak.

"That's actually the complete opposite, of what I planned" he laughed, and Regulus collapsed.

The last thing I felt was a searing pain in my head.

Zach suddenly trembled and shook, then stood up tall. Running his claws along the side of the cave wall he recited the creepy poem.

"Before the sun rises of the night of fourteenth Blood Moon, royal blood will spill royal blood, Magyk will be broken, and darkness will run like water over stone" Tenebris' voice hissed from Zach's body.

He was heading for Zara's turned back.
They shared royal blood.
They had Magyk.

It was time to fulfill the prophecy.