Episode Six-Secrets

'''Episode 6: The Forsaken Drake- Athame’'''

Athame’ and Rynth have made their way into the dark forest surrounding Draco Mountain. This comes shortly after Athame’ has discovered not only has her magic been surging, but she has new found heighten strength and reflexes similar to that of a drake. Unfortunately their journey to the peak of the mountain is stopped by the brother of Athame’s deceased lover, Bran, Kinn Twilight; who Athame’ had come to see.

Kinn: You’ve picked up some skills in your time with my brother it seems. I am impressed.

Athame’: Um…thank you…I guess.

Kinn: Not need for gratification. A monkey’s trick is hardly worth it.

Rynth Arrogant C…(saying as she pulls the bladed end of her whip out)

Athame’: No, No…it’s alright Rynth, let him say what he wants.

Kinn: Rynth? (takes a smell from a distance) Ugh..a drow. Hardly worth my time. You bring a dirty elf to this sacred place of sanctuary human?!

Rynth begins to grow agitated with Kinn’s insults at this and starts to charge him but is stopped by Athame’s magic temporal shield in place.

Athame’: Enough! Look, I didn’t come to banter or measure sizes Kinn I just need your help and I’ll be gone.

Kinn: Something different about you human (saying as he looks a little harder at Athame’) Why do you need my assistance? Can’t get it from the exile that is my brother? What? Did he leave you after finally realizing how weak and feeble your species is?

Athame’: Brandis is GONE!! (saying in anger and some sadness in her voice and face)

Kinn: Gone?

Athame’: He…he died.. He’s gone. (Saying as she is slightly comforted by Rynth touch on her shoulder)

Kinn: I…I was unaware of the exile…my brother’s passing. Did he…did he died fighting? As a warrior?

Athame’: (nodding) until the end…for us all.

Kinn: My apologies. What…what of our mother… is she okay? Did she take his death to heart?

Athame’: She’s gone as well…she was a great person…there are no words for their death’s.

Kinn: I see (saying with sorrow in his face for a moment) Are.. (Clears throat) what matter do you seek help with from me? Hopefully just a way out of my woods and from this place.

Athame’: Brandis told me of a drake birthing technique that can be used on a human who has become with child of a drake…but he did not know of them in practice… do you?

Kinn: Pregnant with exiles…I’m sorry, my brother child I see now. (Smelling Athame’s scent from a distance) That’s what’s different… you scent…among other things. Yes, there are techniques passed down through generations. Unfortunately they are not within my power to share or tell you. Your own your own. (Saying as he begins to fly away)

Athame’: Please! Wait! I can’t do this without help! I need you to tell me…I can’t…I can’t lose myself nor this child…I just can’t. Please…

Kinn: (landing back toward the ground) you know funny thing about exiles is they tend to flock together like birds forming their own lost family you’d say… congrats to you human and my condolences… (Saying as he flies away)

Rynth: It appears your contact was very useless with the information you sought my lady.

Athame’: No, he wasn’t actually. He… never mind, come on I know where we have to go.

Rynth and Atham’e make their way around to the lowest part of the mountain on the opposite side, in a catacomb like area. Remembering her last journey to the mountain with Brandis and what he told her.

“If anything eva happen t’meh an’ ya need help ya can trust dem…jus’ shout dis loudly as ya can…”

Athame’: (Yelling) The star dashes foots prints across the sky, and the sun smiles every time!

Rynth: I’m… apologies my lady but I do not know…

Athame’: Shh… I’m a friend of Brandis Xavierin Twilight. He told me to come here if I ever needed help!

Only silence of the forest and walls around them answers. So she repeats her words and still nothing comes leaving her to fall to her knees.

Rynth: I shall make camp Lady Starfire. When you have rested we will leave?

Athame’ nods her head yes then sits staring into the shadows as Rynth begins to make a fire. Athame’ shuts her eyes and soon starts to dream. She doesn’t dream of the past this time but a pure fantasy. A fantasy where Brandis comes home from teaching. Kisses her hello and rubs her pregnant belly embracing the baby in the womb with a kiss. She is soon thrown out of the fantasy as Rynth alerts her to a new presence.

Rynth: My lady, wake up! We have company.

Athame’ wakes to find a large fair skinned make with dirty blond hair, with goatee to match. He has one single large tribal tattoo on his left arm, and blue eyes. He wears ragged like leaf oriented clothing that’s brown, green and black.

Rushin: A female drow and a human come into my area of slumber? Better have a good reason for summoning.

Athame’: I didn’t. I summoned a woman…Bethory I believe she is called.

Rushin: That’s my cousin…she’s unavailable right now. Did she tell you how to summon our clan? The verbal passage?

Athame’: No, it was… wait cousin… are you Rushin?

Rushin: Rush, please. Rush of the once noble but now exiled Daystar clan of Drakes. Who may you be, human? I mean you know my name… friend or foe?

Athame’: Friend… definitely friend. I’m Athame’ Starfire. I have come to seek your help. I was hoping…

Rushin: My help? You still have yet to tell me who sent ya…

Athame’: Brandis…Brandis Xavieren Twilight.

Rushin: Bran?! Ha! There’s a name I haven’t heard in a while! How is the old guy? Still afraid of heights is he?

Athame’: Yes…I mean no…

Rushin: Always found it funny how a drake like him would be scared of flying, especially when you can hover, I mean come on it’s the next step! Just move forward! Hahaha!

Athame’: Yes, listen…

Rushin: I remember when we were kids, Felicia and Bran would…wait. You’re an ally of his… why is he not with you?

Athame’: Because he…he’s dead…

Rushin: Dead? (a sad look comes over his face) How? When?

Athame’: Months ago…there was an incident with demons. Only he could stop it…and he did.

Rushin: An honorable death… ‘til the end… (Saying as he wipes a tear from his face) You know I use to tell him his honor was going to get him in trouble one day…all the time. Didn’t know how right I was. He will be missed, dearly. (saying as he bows his head briefly in silence)

Athame’: More than you think…

Rushin: So.. I assume he told you how to summon my clans name…

Athame’: Yes.

Rushin: Something he would not do unless he truly loved and trusted you. A friend of Brandis is a friend of mine…how can I help you, if I can?

Athame’ removes the glamour over herself as she collapses in pain, losing her power over the glamour completely, and is caught by Rushin before she hits the ground, with fast speed.

Rushin: You hold his child?

Athame’ nods yes.

Rushin: A glorious occasion, shadowed by a burden! Did he not tell you the dangers of this?!

Athame’: He did but he didn’t know…it’s my fault... (Screams loudly)

Rynth: She appears to be drawing closer to the birthing cycles end. We run low with time…

Rushin: I’m sorry lover of Brandis but I am unable to assist you with this…

Athame’: Wha…Why??!! (Gasping for air and softly screams) Kinn said…said.

Rushin: Whatever that arrogant Drake told you was false!

Rynth: No, what he said was the techniques for your species birthing process were lost to him.

Rushin: Then he did speak true. The techniques…the medicines…the entire birthing practice are lost to male drakes. Only female drakes know of the midwife techniques used to bring a drake child into the world. It is our kind’s custom.

Rynth: Why is this?

Rushin: Female drakes are capable of living after the birth of one of our own…but human females are not, it is unheard of if not extremely rare. Because drakes are honor bound to protect life, not destroy it, measures were taken to teach only females of our species, to at the very least make sure if something like this occurred the drake within was not lost as well as the mother. Generation to generation, Female to female… mother to… daughter. Come! (saying as he pick Athame’ up with ease) I know who can help you! Drow woman…

Rynth: I am Rynth, former champion of the Darko Clan…

Rushin: Can you follow?

Rynth: My lady? Yes, anywhere.

Rushin: Then follow swiftly (saying as he super speeds off into another direction faster as a the wind)

Rynth looks around curiously then sink into the shadows beneath her and begins moving through them fast enough to keep pace behind Rush. Athame’ passes out from the strain on her mind and powers. While out she hallucinates being carried by Brandis in all the different times she shared with him. After several minutes of fast paces running Rush stops outside a large cliff top hanging mystically over the edge of the Black Sea. At the top lies a series of houses made of bark, woof, mud, bamboo and various plant life just outside a jungle. Rynth catches up and rises from the shadows next to Rushin after he stops.

Rushin: Interesting talent you have. Never met a drow with such.

Rynth: I am not sure if your words are complimentary.

Rushin: Take them as you wish drow of the shadows.

Rynth: My name is Rynth…. My lady?

Rushin: She is asleep. Hallucinated my appearance of her deceased lover a couple times. I can tell she loved him so.

Rynth: I assume as much.

Athame’ awakes to the sight of the scorched sky by the sea, and the series of conjoined huts to make a large on the very top of the cliff of where they stood.

Athame’: Where…where are we?

Rushin: We are on the outskirts of what the humans use to call Jamaica. A home for many and place of vacation for other. Now since the fall it has become something else entirely. There…on the top island, inside you’ll find what you seek. The answers to your condition.

Athame’: You’re not coming with?

Rushin: Unfortunately I am not able to. The inhabitant and I have…history and I do not wish to cause further stress to anyone.

Athame’: Then I do thank you for your help… really.

Rushin: The pleasure was mine Athame’ Starfire, lover of Brandis, mother to be (saying as he bowes and then speeds away)

As Rynth and Athame’ walk to the edge of the cliff they are stopped by not only the sight of a large gap between the two surface, but an unseen force.

Athame’: Do you feel that?

Rynth: I do sense a strong presence, yes.

Athame’: It’s magic…old but very powerful (saying as she moves and feels the think like shield in front of her) looks like we jump.

Rynth: I shall assist you.

Athame’: No, I..I think I can do it.

Bracing herself Athame’ leaps the fifty foot gap as she is slowly carried over by the magical energy to the other side. She then waves Rynth over, but as she attempts to jump the energy will not let her pass as she leaps into what feels like an invisible wall then rebounds back to the surface.

Rynth: Something’s wrong Lady Starfire, I am unable to pass through as you did before me!

Athame’: The shield seems to block negative energy…old magic like I said but…let me see if I can lower it. (Saying as she starts to cast a spell with hand signs but is abruptly interrupted by a woman in a hood)

Mystery Lady: You will do no such thing woman! This is my house! I make the rules of who is allowed in and out! And only I cast the magic! Who are you? And why have to come?

Athame’: I’m...Athame’ Starfire (saying as she looks curiously at the woman)

Mystery Lady: That’s one question answered now the other! (Saying as she removes the hood covering her head and revealing her face and identity)

She stands average height. Dreaded hair with hint of white and some blond locks with decorative jewel throughout. Her eyes are emerald green and she has the same olive skin tone as Brandis and Kinn, but with more tattoos. She dresses in jungle like clothing and wears a variety of charms and bracelets and no shoes.

Athame’: You… you must be Whitley…Brandis’ sister. (Gasps in shock) You both look so much alike.